A car drove into a crowd of people in Berlin's Tiergarten park on Saturday night, leaving several injured and forcing the cancellation of the city's Christopher Street Day Pride parade, police and organisers have confirmed.
The incident took place around 10pm in the Tiergarten area, close to the route of the annual LGBTQ+ celebration. Berlin police declared a major police operation and cordoned off the scene, with paramedics treating the injured at the site. The number of people hurt has not been officially released, but authorities described the injuries as multiple.
The organisers of the Christopher Street Day parade quickly announced the cancellation of the remainder of the event. The parade, one of Europe's largest Pride demonstrations, had been drawing thousands of participants and spectators through central Berlin earlier in the evening. Witnesses at the scene reported a white van ploughing into the crowd, sparking panic among attendees.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident. At this early stage, no official statement has been made regarding the driver's identity or a possible motive. The area around Tiergarten, a large public park in the heart of Berlin, remained sealed off late into the night as forensic teams gathered evidence.
The Christopher Street Day event, named after the site of the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, has been held annually in Berlin for decades. It typically includes a parade through the city centre, culminating in a festival in Tiergarten. The gathering is a key date in the city's cultural calendar and draws visitors from across Germany and abroad.
Saturday's cancellation came as a shock to the thousands who had gathered for the celebration. Many participants were still in the park when the vehicle struck. Social media users posted videos and photographs showing a heavy police presence, with officers directing crowds away from the area. Emergency services were seen attending to people on the ground.
The incident has drawn comparisons to previous vehicle attacks at public events in Europe, though authorities have not yet classified the event as an act of terror. German interior ministry officials said they were closely monitoring the situation and urged the public to remain calm and follow police instructions.
Berlin's mayor expressed shock at the news and offered condolences to those affected. In a statement released through the city government, he thanked emergency services for their rapid response and said the city stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Local hospitals have been placed on standby to receive additional casualties if necessary. Police have asked members of the public to avoid the Tiergarten area and to refrain from spreading unverified information on social media. A dedicated telephone hotline has been set up for worried relatives seeking information about those involved.
The cancellation of the Pride march comes at a sensitive time for LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, where Pride events have increasingly faced security concerns. The German capital has long been considered a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, and Saturday is seen as a major blow to that reputation.
Investigators are expected to provide further updates as the inquiry progresses. Berlin police have said that they will hold a press conference on Sunday morning to release more details on the incident and the condition of the injured.
