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1.2 million people at the CSD demo: the rainbow is over Cologne

2022-07-03T16:22:37.019Z


After two years of Corona, Christopher Street Day has celebrated its comeback without restrictions. More people came than ever - probably also because the LGBTIQ community is exposed to hatred.


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Exuberant atmosphere at the CSD in Cologne: »A strong sign of diversity, of tolerance, against hate and against exclusion«

Photo: Marius Becker / dpa

They wanted to »show that we are many«.

It worked, impressively.

Hundreds of thousands celebrated Christopher Street Day in Cologne on Sunday and demonstrated for tolerance and diversity.

Around 180 foot groups and music floats took part in the parade through the city center – more than ever before.

According to the organizers, around 1.2 million visitors came, the police spoke of at least one million.

There were no special incidents.

The Cologne CSD is one of the largest events for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community in Europe.

Despite the party mood, the spectacle has a serious concern.

The pressure from homophobic and transphobic groups is increasing, queer people are often victims of hatred and violence, said Jens Pielhau, head of the Cologne Lesbian and Gay Day (KLuST) association, which organizes the CSD.

"We want to demonstrate peacefully and freely against this, and celebrate at the same time."

With the demo, Cologne is "sending a strong signal for diversity, for tolerance, against hate and against exclusion," said North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), who was the first Prime Minister in the roughly 30-year history of the Cologne CSD .

Incidents like the recent one in Oslo show that it is still necessary to set such signals.

A week ago, an attacker shot dead two people and injured 21 around a popular gay bar in the Norwegian capital.

"All over the world, and unfortunately also in Germany, there are extremists at work who don't want to give us our freedom," said the federal government's queer commissioner, Sven Lehmann (Greens).

"The strong signal from Cologne is: We will never let this freedom be taken from us."

more on the subject

“Scientifically not sound”: Federal government queer commissioner criticizes “Welt” guest contribution

The parade was the highlight of a CSD weekend with a big street festival and several stages in Cologne's old town.

After two years with severe corona restrictions, the event was able to take place again in the usual setting for the first time.

In many places, the CSD is reminiscent of events in New York in 1969: At that time, police officers stormed a bar on Christopher Street and broke up a riot by gays, lesbians and transsexuals.

nile/dpa

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2022-07-03

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