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Police reported two incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in the hours after Germany's largest LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in Berlin.
This piece initially appeared on Advocate.com Read the original here.
Two apparent homophobic attacks were reported following Berlin’s annual pro-LGBTQ+ Christopher Street Day celebration on Saturday, police said Sunday. Assailants attacked three young people, then a 32-year-old, after the demonstration through Berlin.
A group of nine made anti-LGBTQ+ comments to two 16- and 17-year-old girls, along with a 15-year-old boy, in the Berlin Mitte neighborhood of Germany’s capital city on Saturday around 8 p.m. It appears the group was offended by the young people’s clothing, according to the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.
Police told the paper that when the 16-year-old confronted one of the suspects, he knocked her hat off her head and tripped her, causing her to fall. He then punched her in the face when she got up.
The suspect fled and the group then fled. The assault is under investigation.
A witness intervened in central Berlin in the early hours of Sunday morning to stop a second attack. A group of eight pushed a 32-year-old man to the ground and kicked him in the head and body around 3:15 a.m., according to a 39-year-old woman – a good samaritan – who had stood protectively in front of the victim. The actions of the woman forced the attackers to leave, the paper reports.
During the attack, the man sustained bruises and lacerations that medical personnel treated. Police officials are investigating that attack as well.
Berlin's Christopher Street celebrations saw about 350,000 people gather at the city's Brandenburg Gate.
The parade itself was peaceful, according to police, the Associated Press reports.
\u201cBerlin's Christopher Street Day parade is taking place today. It's one of the longest-running and largest pride parades in Europe with half a million people expected to take part this year. #CSDBerlin.\n\nThis year's motto: United in Love - Against Hate, War and Discrimination.\u201d— German Embassy London (@German Embassy London) 1658577315
Saturday's Pride was the 44th CSD in Berlin, which honors the Stonewall Riots of 1969.
This year’s motto was “United in Love - Against Hate, War and Discrimination.”
Germany scores very high on Equaldex, an LGBTQ+ quality of life database, with a score of 83 out of 100 for LGBTQ+ rights, with 100 being full equality.
Pew Research found that 86 percent of Germans believe society should accept homosexuality. That same 2020 study found only 72 percent of Americans believe the same.
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Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support.
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support.
