Hamburg Pride draws 300,000 under tight security after Berlin attack

Berlin,UPDATED: Aug 1, 2026 21:16 IST

Hamburg's Pride parade, one of Germany's biggest, was held with increased security on Saturday, a week after a fatal extremist attack near the closing event of Berlin's Pride celebrations. Police and organisers said about 300,000 people attended the march through the port city, up from around 260,000 last year.

The event took place under the motto, "Queer in solidarity. Take a stand - for a future without fear." Hamburg's police chief had said earlier this week that roughly twice as many officers as last year would be deployed to protect the parade.

A late addition to the dozens of trucks in the parade was one representing Berlin Pride, or Christopher Street Day (CSD), as such parades are known in Germany. People on that truck were asked to wear dark clothing as a mark of respect for the victims of last week's attack.

"After the brutal attack on the CSD in Berlin, many are unsure in the queer community but also in society whether here and today is the right place," Hamburg's deputy mayor, Katharina Fegebank, told RTL television. "I say, now more than ever." CSD organiser Manuel Opitz said, "When you look at the atmosphere here, you can see that there's still joy. At least, that's how it seems to me. I think we carry the grief in our hearts - and Berlin in our hearts, too - but we're bringing our pride out onto the streets, and you can see that."

Late on July 25, a driver drove a van into people a few hundred metres from the closing party of the Berlin Pride event before attacking others with what appeared to be a machete. A woman was killed and many others were injured. The 21-year-old suspect, Abdul Ballout, was killed in a confrontation with police on Sunday. Investigators later found a video in which a person believed to be the suspect claimed responsibility and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Prosecutors said Ballout, who was born in Germany and had Lebanese roots, travelled to Lebanon in 2025 with the goal of going to Syria to join IS and made contact with several people believed to be members.

The Hamburg parade went ahead with a larger turnout and tighter security, while participants also paid tribute to the victims of the Berlin attack and carried on the event's message of solidarity and a future without fear.

With PTI Inputs

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