One person killed and 29 injured after van drives into Berlin Pride event crowd
Abdul Ballout, who is believed to have carried out at the attack on Sunday, was later shot and killed by police
One person was killed and at least 29 others injured after a vehicle was driven into a crowd during a Berlin Pride event on Saturday (25th July).
The suspected driver, 21-year-old German national Abdul Ballout, was shot dead by police on Sunday (26th July) at an allotment garden complex in the city’s Spandau district. Authorities are treating the incident, in which Ballout allegedly drove his car into the crowd at the popular Christopher Street Day (CSD) before attacking people with a blade, as a suspected "Islamist terror attack".
The attack took place at approximately 10PM on Saturday at Tiergarten park, near the Brandenburg Gate, during Berlin Pride celebrations where hundreds of thousands had gathered to celebrate. The event, one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ gatherings, was cut short as organisers and authorities responded to the incident. According to the latest reports from The Guardian , a 65-year-old Polish woman died in the attack, while 29 others sustained injuries.
Per BBC News , Ballout was known to authorities, having previous convictions for assault and robbery. The Guardian reports that he had previously attempted to join the Islamic State group, but was arrested in Lebanon and repatriated back to Germany and charged with “preparing a serious act of subversive violence”. He was later sentenced as a juvenile to a year and 10 months in prison, but that the sentence had been suspended.
In a statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the attack as "heinous" and said: “We will not allow this poison of terrorism to spread further in our society."
During a vigil at St Mary's Church in Berlin on Sunday, Merz spoke again. “I would like to say this to Christopher Street Day participants here in Berlin but also across Germany: Don’t let yourselves, let us not let ourselves be intimidated," he said, per The Independent . "These acts have only one purpose: They aim to divide our society. They want to take away from us the most important thing we have: namely our openness and our freedom.”
The organisers of the CSD event have urged people not to use the attack for political gain: "We don't want this act to be exploited for political purposes or for people to be placed under general suspicion," a spokesperson said, per The BBC. "Such violence is an attempt to divide our society and incite people against each other. We, as Berlin CSD, will not allow this."
Berlin clubland has been vocal in response to Saturday's attack, with expressions of sorrow and solidarity from across the city's scene for the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ club night Homies, who were hosting an event at the Oxi club on Saturday, shared a statement on Sunday in the aftermath of the attack. "Our thoughts are with everyone who was hurt, everyone who witnessed something traumatic, and everyone who is carrying fear or grief today. Moments like these remind us why Pride has never simply been a party. When hate tries to push queer people out of public space, our answer cannot be to disappear. Our answer is to hold each other a little closer. To check in on one another. To mourn together. And, to celebrate each other."
Berlin Club Comission wrote : "We are deeply shocked and devastated by the attack on everyone who took to the streets yesterday during Christopher Street Day in Berlin to stand up for the self-determination, visibility, and rights of queer people. Our deepest sympathy goes out to all victims, everyone affected, and their families, chosen families, and friends. We mourn the person whose life was taken yesterday, and our thoughts are with those who are still fighting for their lives, as well as everyone who experienced traumatic events. We stand in solidarity with the entire queer community in our city and beyond!"
Irish DJ Cormac, who has been based in Berlin for years, shared his thoughts in an Instagram post . "Trying to see something like this as the last gasp of a dying mentality," he wrote. "I hope that’s true. We’re living in a time where ignorance, hatred and division are amplified by media and algorithms that reward outrage and reaction. That has consequences. I believe in queer joy. I believe it is powerful. But tonight, joy is harder to find. There is a time and space for joy, and there is a time for grief, for outrage, for setting boundaries, for pushing back, for standing together and demanding better."
He.She.They, who were hosting a Pride event at RSO Berlin on Saturday night, also shared a statement . "This attack is what happens in a world where politicians and others demonise LGBTQIA+ people and minorities to for power and control. The world really could so easily be full of joy and not hate but joyful people are harder to control and divide. Our community will not be scared into silence. It just unites us. We will live our lives louder and prouder for all those who cannot."
