German queer commissioner calls for solidarity after Pride attack

Germany's federal commissioner for sexual and gender diversity called for unity and visibility in combating hatred on Sunday, a day after a fatal attack on Berlin's Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride parade.

"If the enemies of our freedom sow hatred and violence, they will not reap fear, but greater solidarity, greater diversity, and greater visibility," Sophie Koch posted on Instagram.

"That is our answer. And we will fight for it with determination," stated Koch, whose position is also known as queer commissioner.

Koch stressed that the CSD parade stands for freedom, diversity, and the right to be visible without fear.

"The fact that people became victims of such an act of violence in precisely this setting is deeply shocking," she said.

The Berlin parade was called off on Saturday evening after a van drove into a crowd near the event in the Tiergarten park. One woman was killed, and 16 other people were injured.

Calling the incident an attack that had deeply shaken both her and the wider LGBTQ+ community, Koch said her thoughts were with the victims, their families and their friends.

"I sincerely wish those who were injured strength and a speedy recovery," she wrote.