On Saturday night in Berlin, ChronicleLive reporter David Huntley was sitting outside a Späti in the Pankow district when he heard sirens. The constant sound of police and ambulance sirens seemed unusual for a weekend, but he did not learn the cause until the next morning.
The Attack
Earlier that day, Huntley had been in Friedrichshain, an area with a large alternative and LGBTQ scene. He considered attending Pride, known as Christopher Street Day, at the Brandenburg Gate but decided to return to Pankow. On Sunday morning, he learned that 21-year-old Abdul Ballout had driven a van into the Pride crowd near the Tiergarten, killing one person and injuring many others. Ballout was later shot dead by police after a manhunt.
Growing Memorial at Brandenburg Gate
Following the attack, a memorial was set up at the Brandenburg Gate. People have been laying flowers, notes, and tributes. Members of the LGBTQ community, along with tourists, have been paying respects. A large police presence remains in the area.
Huntley spoke with Dana, 35, from West Germany, and her friend Marcel, 41, who lives in Heinersdorf. Dana was celebrating Pride elsewhere on Saturday and did not know about the attack until a friend messaged her. She said, "Seeing these tributes gives me hope. The world feels like it is getting increasingly transphobic and homophobic, but seeing all of the people here, the messages and tributes, it does give me hope. We will fight, we will never go away. Queerness will always be a part of humankind."
Dana added that she generally felt safe in Berlin before the attack and has attended many Pride events. She reflected, "The thing is, if I was slightly fitter, I would have been there. I thought 'damn', just because I wasn't feeling as well I had been, I was safe, while others weren't. That cost me some sleep."
A Simple Message: 'Keine Hetze'
Among the tributes, one sign simply read: 'Keine Hetze' - No Hate Speech. Huntley noted that at a time when Pride flags are being removed from council buildings and homophobic rhetoric is prevalent online, such messages are important. He also mentioned that ChronicleLive had to remove comments from a Pride article due to abhorrent comments.
Huntley, who is not part of the LGBTQ community but has friends and family who are, said the attack in a city known for inclusiveness is deeply worrying. He noted that those he knows within the community are not surprised such an attack happened, given the rise of homophobic and racist rhetoric on social media.
