Advertisement due to incitement to hate - Group tears down Rainbow Flag at CSD
A group of twelve young men and one woman made loudly racist and homophobic statements during the Cologne Christopher Street Day Parade on Sunday. A police spokeswoman reported that the group also tore down Rainbow flags. The "Express" reported this.
The police were alerted by a witness and filed charges for incitement of hatred and damage to property. The men, aged between 18 and 30, had worn black clothing and some had shaved heads and walked around with bare upper bodies.
According to police reports, the demonstration went "smoothly" overall. However, there had been several threats against the CSD prior to the event. The police protected the parade with several hundred officers. According to organizers, 1.2 million visitors attended.
- The incident of criminality during the Christopher Street Day in Cologne, Germany, involved extremist views against the LGBTQ+ community, as evident from the racist and homophobic statements made by a group of men.
- The authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Cologne lies, are taking this matter seriously, and the women involved in the incident have also been held accountable for tearing down Rainbow flags.
- Ms. from the police spokesperson's office stated that the advertisement for the Christopher Street Day Parade was widely welcomed, and the event was otherwise peaceful, but the incident on Sunday marked an unacceptable act of incitement to hatred against the people.
- On the following Monday, many individuals in Germany showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community by displaying Rainbow flags in various public places, including Chrisitopher Street itself, in a show of unity against extremism.
- The local authorities in Cologne are now considering stricter measures during future Christopher Street Day events to prevent such incidents from happening again and to ensure the safety of all participants.
- As the country gears up for the upcoming Christopher Street Day in Cologne, the police are urging the public to report any instances of hate speech or incitement to hatred, ensuring that the event remains a celebration of diversity and unity.
