Van Crashes Into LGBTQ+ Crowd At Berlin Pride, Killing 1 And Injuring 15 Near Tiergartan

Berlin: The annual LGBTQ+ celebrations in Berlin turned fatal on Saturday evening when a van crashed into a crowd gathered for Christopher Street Day, leaving 1 person dead and at least 15 others injured. According to reports, the incident occurred in Tiergarten park, just off the route of the pride march that had earlier drawn hundreds of thousands to the German capital. 

After the deadly crash, the local administration and emergency teams rushed to the site, with firefighters, paramedics and event medics launching a rescue operation to save those hurt. The local cops moved immediately to shut down the festivities and by around 10.15 pm, the police ordered the main stage event by the Brandenburg Gate to stop, telling revellers to leave the area immediately and avoid the park.

According to the Berlin police, a white van entered Tiergarten and struck several people before coming to a stop against a tree. Some of those injured were said to have life-threatening wounds, with the doctors making every effort to save those innocent lives. 

Following the incident, in a message posted to X, the police urged everyone at the site to depart at once. The cops have not confirmed how many officers were deployed, but efforts are being made to trace and track the accused involved in the crash. 

Police Officer Florian Nath appeared in a brief video released on the Berlin police account, stating, “We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects.” Later, the police spokesperson Alexander Klute said that the cops still did not know “anything about any possible motives, the identity of the perpetrator or the perpetrators, or anything of that nature".

Europe’s Largest Pride Event Brought To An Abrupt End

Christopher Street Day is among Europe’s biggest LGBTQ+ parades, and this year’s edition had begun peacefully. Around 80 floats moved through the city for hours to loud music and cheering crowds. The celebrations were due to culminate with a concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate, but the performance was interrupted as news of the crash spread. The attendees at the event were advised to head home and to steer clear of Tiergarten.

Julian Miethig, who had been at the party earlier, said that he was on his way to an afterparty when a friend alerted him. “Something bad happened there and there are a lot of fire trucks, a lot of emergency vehicles, ambulances,” he recalled. 

The police have not linked the crash to terrorism and asserted that inquiries are ongoing. The force continued to appeal for witnesses as efforts are made to establish the cause that led the van into the crowd during one of Berlin’s most important days of celebration.