One killed, 16 injured after car plows into crowd at Berlin Pride parade
Members marched through the streets of Berlin carrying Pride flags earlier in the day. Photo: Reuters
One person was killed and at least 16 others were injured after a car drove into a crowd during an LGBTQ Pride parade in the German capital, Berlin.
Authorities called off one of Europe’s largest Pride events after the incident, which occurred at around 10 pm local time on Saturday.
According to the police’s preliminary investigation, a white car struck several people near the route of the Pride march in the city’s central Tiergarten Park before crashing into a tree.
Berlin police spokesperson Florian Nath confirmed the information. Police said several of the injured are in critical condition. Everyone at the venue was instructed to leave the event following the incident.
The car was found abandoned in Tiergarten Park, and an intensive search is underway for the suspects. Early Sunday, police said they had identified one suspect but had not yet arrested him.
Nath said the individual was already known to law enforcement and is believed to have links to Islamic circles in Berlin. However, no confirmed information is yet available about his motive, the exact sequence of events, or his role in the crime.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged a full investigation into the incident and promised that those responsible would be brought to justice.
At the same time, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner described the incident as ‘a brutal attack on a peaceful and tolerant society.’
More than 2,200 police officers had been deployed since Saturday morning to provide security for the Pride parade and related events. Several hundred thousand people had gathered in Berlin to take part in the Pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day.
Following the incident, the main event in front of the Brandenburg Gate was canceled at around 10:15 pm, and everyone present was urged to avoid the Tiergarten area and return home safely.
Source: BBC ( Adapted)
