CSD in Neuruppin: Pride Walk under police protection from right-wing extremists!

CSD in Neuruppin: Pride Walk under police protection from right-wing extremists!

In Germany, numerous CSD parades take place every summer in which queer people demonstrate for their rights. But the joy of the events is repeatedly marred by right-wing extremist attacks. The threatening situation that the community is confronted with is particularly evident at the Pride Walk in Neuruppin, which is subject to intensive security precautions this year. Marleen Vock, who registered the event, reports a close exchange with the police, who even inquired about the security situation shortly before the event began. According to [esslinger-zeitung.de](https://www.esslinger-zeitung.de/content.begehen-durch-rechtsextreme-pride-walk-in-neuruppin- Feiern-unter-polizeischutz.d2948fe9-ecef-43fa-b553-9893806cb7c1.html), it has become essential to protect such events in order to enable participants to celebrate safely.

As WDR describes in a current report, the increasing number of anti-queer attacks has made the need for police protection at CSDs a sad reality. In 2024, an average of eight cases of hate crime against queer people were registered in Germany every day, and violent incidents are increasing, especially during Pride season. Attacks often come from different social camps, but primarily from the right-wing extremist spectrum. Small groups are also calling for counter-actions against the events, thereby increasing the pressure on the organizers and participants.

The sad reality of the CSD atmosphere

Christopher Street Day is much more than a colorful parade; it is a symbol of the memory of the 1969 protests in New York. But while the Pride season is in full swing, even in East Germany, where the AfD is often the strongest political force, queer life is increasingly accompanied by threats and attacks. An example of these problems is the first CSD of the “Pride Season” 2025 in Schönebeck, which had to be dissolved prematurely due to inadequate security precautions by the police and public order office, as tagesschau.de reports. Confidence in the security situation is waning and it is becoming increasingly clear that the community needs urgent protection and support.

The critical situation means that organizers are adjusting their routes and entering into close cooperation with the police in order to avoid possible attacks. In cities like Pforzheim and Eberswalde there have already been mobilizing actions during planned CSDs, and the situation is also tense in Thuringia, where the small party “Der III Weg” is mobilizing against the CSD in Erfurt. Richard Gleitsmann, spokesman for Erfurt Pride, emphasizes the importance of working with security authorities to protect participants.

A call for solidarity

Responses to these growing threats raise fundamental questions about the future of CSDs. It becomes clear that events that were originally places of celebration are increasingly being moved into the area of ​​security measures. The social support for queer people mentioned by WDR is no longer as strong as it should be in many places. Even more prominent voices, such as Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, are withdrawing from symbolic support. A development that makes the concerns of the queer community even more ineffective and is met with incomprehension by many.

Overall, the need for solidarity and social support for the LGBTIQ* community remains unbroken. The impact of the CSDs must not be allowed to expire - they are not only a celebration of diversity, but also a necessary protest for equality and acceptance. But what happens when Pride events are no longer just celebrations but instead take on a threat? These questions are looming and urgently require an answer.