- Hundreds of thousands celebrate the CSD
Hot, vibrant, loud, and clear: Tens of thousands of people celebrated the Christopher Street Day in Hamburg on Saturday afternoon with a large demonstration. Most were dressed in bright colors, many had glitter on their faces and carried rainbow flags. "The demonstration is a super strong signal for unity in society," said a spokesperson for Hamburg Pride. It shows that the queer community is standing up against the right-wing shift.
According to the organizers and the police, around 250,000 people came to Hamburg and participated in or watched the demonstration. Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD), Deputy Mayor Katharina Fegebank (Greens), and the Ukrainian Consul General in Hamburg, Iryna Tybinka, marched behind the banner at the front of the demonstration. Before the parade started, Tschentscher exchanged words with some demonstrators and author Peggy Parnass. Rocker Udo Lindenberg showed his solidarity on his Instagram account.
Record number of registrations for the demo
This year's demo motto was "5 to 12! You & I against right-wing pressure." The loud and colorful demo procession, with over 130 registered groups, including 59 trucks, traveled from Mundsburger Damm via Lange Reihe, the main station, and Mönckebergstraße to the town hall square. According to the spokesperson of Hamburg Pride, a record 133 groups registered this time.
Demands of Hamburg Pride
The organizers of the CSD appealed to politics to include the protection of queer people in the Basic Law. "The expanded Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Basic Law must state in the future: 'No one may be disadvantaged or favored because of... their sexual or gender identity.' This is absolutely necessary so that lesbians, gays, trans*, and intersex people can no longer be treated as second-class citizens in legal proceedings and legislation."
Rainbow flags in the city
Rainbow flags have been hanging on many buildings and facilities in Hamburg since the beginning of the week. The flag stands for worldwide equality and acceptance of people who do not identify with the norms around traditional male and female roles, or who are not heterosexual. For example, the Hamburg Hochbahn also found the Hanseatic city colorful at its "most beautiful."
The "9th Hamburg Dyke March - for more lesbian visibility!" was scheduled to take place on Friday evening, with around 1,000 people marching from the Gänsemarkt to the Reeperbahn. From Friday to Sunday, there will be a CSD street festival around the Binnenalster with lots of program and music.
The Christopher Street Day is celebrated worldwide. The movement goes back to events in June 1969. After a police raid on the scene bar "Stonewall Inn," there was an uprising of gays and lesbians. The main scene of the street battles was Christopher Street in the artist quarter of Greenwich Village.
Information about the program of the Pride Week in Hamburg
The Commission, in adherence to this Regulation, will adopt implementing acts outlining the application rules. These acts are crucial to ensuring equality and protection for lesbians, gays, trans*, and intersex people, as demanded by Hamburg Pride. The expanded Article 3, Paragraph 3 of the Basic Law must include a clause stating that no one can be treated unfairly based on their sexual or gender identity, as proposed by Hamburg Pride.
