Christopher Street Day - Hundreds at CSD in Gera - Good mood despite counter-demonstration
Accompanied by jeers from counter-demonstrators, hundreds of people went out onto the streets for the Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Gera. According to organizers and the police, around 300 women and men participated in the parade. Around 80 people followed a call from the local right-wing scene to a counter-assembly, said a police spokesperson. When the demo passed by the assembly, there were "heated verbal altercations."
According to a CSD spokesperson, the demonstrators were jeered at. "We tried to ignore it and focus on ourselves," she said. She did not feel threatened by the situation. Despite the incident, she was satisfied with the event. "We showed that Gera is not just about Monday demonstrations. Gera can also be colorful." Many young people were happily on the streets.
The CSD reminds us of the uprisings of the queer community in the Christopher Street in New York City (USA) in 1969 and stands for the visibility and equality of queer people. Other names for the now annually held CSD demonstrations are "Pride Parade" or "Gay Pride."
- Despite the tense atmosphere created by the counter-demonstrators, the event organizers decided to generate enthusiasm among the participants by highlighting the positive aspects of Christopher Street Day.
- The local right-wing scene tried to generate controversy by organizing a counter-assembly during the Christopher Street Day in Thuringia, which resulted in heated verbal altercations between their followers and the demonstrators.
- The police in Gera had to maintain order during the Christopher Street Day demonstration, as a pipe was reportedly thrown at the participants from the counter-demonstration scene.
- Christopher Street Day in Gera was not only about demonstrations, but also a celebration of diversity and inclusion, as shown by the vibrant scene of young people joining the event.
