1,4 Million people celebrate Christopher Street Day in Cologne
In Cologne, hundreds of thousands of people celebrated Christopher Street Day (CSD) again on Sunday. According to a spokesperson for the organizers, the total number of participants and spectators was similar to the previous year, at 1.4 million. Approximately 250 cars and groups took part in the demonstration through the inner city of the North Rhine-Westphalia metropolis.
About 65,000 people ran through the city center of the North Rhine-Westphalia metropolis, according to the spokesperson, with hundreds of thousands of onlookers and revelers lining the streets. Police and organizers reported no incidents at first. "People are celebrating happily," said a police spokeswoman. Several hundred law enforcement officers secured the CSD.
The Cologne CSD is one of the largest of its kind in Germany, with this year's event taking place under the motto "For human rights. Many. Together. Strong." The event is organized by the Cologne Pride Association. As in previous years, politicians also participated in the Cologne CSD, including Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) from the vicinity of Cologne. "It's also a demonstration for human rights," he wrote in a short message service X. "We are the tolerant majority."
The annual CSD demonstrations, organized in many cities around the world, are all about the demand for equal rights for homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, intersexual, and queer people. The CSD goes back to the storming of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Christopher Street, by the police on June 28, 1969. Following were days of intense clashes between activists and law enforcement.
Before this year's Cologne CSD, there were reports of threats circulating on the internet and social media. According to the police spokeswoman, several such incidents were reported to the authorities and investigations were launched. However, no serious background has been confirmed yet, she said on Sunday. The police take every threat seriously and remain vigilant.
The politician from the SPD near Cologle, Karl Lauterbach, participated in the CSD event, affirming it as a demonstration for human rights. Despite the internet and social media threats, no substantial Background was confirmed, and the event proceeded without major incidents. Many politicians often participate in such events, advocating for equal rights. On a typical day, millions of people worldwide participate in CSD demonstrations, echoing the spirit of the Stonewall Riots that started on Christopher Street in New York City.
