Car Rams Into LGBT Festival Attended by Hundreds of Thousands in Berlin: One Dead, Over 16 Injured

Some Victims in Critical Condition
Police in Pursuit of Suspect

At an LGBT festival held in the heart of Berlin, Germany, a vehicle plowed into a crowd, leaving one person dead and several others injured.

On the 25th (local time), near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, a white van drove into a crowd attending Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Tiergarten Park, causing casualties. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the night of the 25th (local time), international outlets including the AP reported that a white van drove into a crowd attending Christopher Street Day (CSD) near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park, causing casualties before crashing into a tree and coming to a stop inside the park. Authorities have confirmed that one person died and at least 16 others were injured. Some of the wounded reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries.

The German newspaper Bild quoted witnesses as saying that a man got out of the vehicle and fled. Police stated that the vehicle believed to have been involved in the incident was found abandoned. They also explained, "We are conducting an intensive search for the suspect," and added, "At this time, there is no information regarding the motive for the crime or the identity of the suspect." Following the incident, police and event organizers immediately canceled the festival for safety reasons and urged participants to leave the venue and return home at once.

Kai Wegner, the Mayor of Berlin, denounced the incident as "an attack on our free and open society," stating, "A gathering for tolerance and a peaceful Berlin was brutally attacked." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed, "We will push for a thorough investigation and severe punishment so that this horrific act is fully prosecuted." Authorities urged witnesses to provide any videos or photographs taken at the scene to the police.

CSD is the largest LGBT rights advocacy event in Europe, held annually in Germany, Switzerland, and other European countries. Each year, hundreds of thousands gather in central Berlin for a parade that peacefully conveys social and political messages such as equality, inclusion, and opposition to discrimination. According to reports, prior to the accident, participants had been marching through the city, dancing to music, and enjoying the festivities in a peaceful atmosphere.

Following the incident, the event scheduled to take place in front of the Brandenburg Gate was canceled, and a band performing on stage halted its performance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.