Law enforcement disperses LGBTQ+ demonstration during Berlin's CSD event
In the heart of Berlin, on June 28, 2021, approximately 10,000 individuals gathered for the "Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation" protest, held in the district of Kreuzberg. The demonstration, which focused on solidarity with Palestine and resistance to racism, colonialism, and capitalism, was a part of the Christopher Street Day but not limited to the official parade.
However, a thorough search of publicly available data has failed to confirm a controversial police intervention during this specific protest. The search results primarily reference protests and police actions related to Internationalist Queer Pride demonstrations in Berlin in July 2025, not June 2021.
For instance, the results mention a massive police intervention at the Internationalist Queer Pride (IQP) demonstration on July 26, 2025, which included confrontations with police and arrests during queer protests in Kreuzberg. No such details, injuries, or official authority responses are cited for June 28, 2021, in the retrieved data.
The protest, which began at Südstern, was meant to end at Oranienplatz. However, the police shut down the event hours early, citing "attacks on officers," alleged antisemitic chants, glass bottles and paint being thrown, and officers being struck with flagpoles as the reasons for the intervention. As a result, fifty-seven people were detained, and fifty-four criminal complaints were filed, including charges of assault and property damage.
Organisers of the June 2021 protest claim that the police overreacted and escalated tensions unnecessarily. In fact, video footage online shows police using force against protestors, including dragging people to the ground. These incidents have added to a growing list of controversial police interventions at demonstrations in Berlin.
The Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner had previously warned Berlin police to respect the right to assembly, citing concerns about use of excessive force. Berlin's governing mayor, Kai Wegner, had previously stated that police would intervene "robustly and consistently."
Despite the controversy surrounding the police intervention, the Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation protest on June 28, 2021, was a powerful display of solidarity and resistance, reflecting the ongoing fight for equality and justice in Berlin and beyond.
- The controversial police intervention during the Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation protest in Berlin, which occurred on July 26, 2025, was widely covered on social media, with videos showing excessive force used against protestors.
- The atmosphere of the Internationalist Queer Pride for Liberation protest on June 28, 2021, was one of solidarity and resistance, despite the ensuing controversy and politically charged discussions on crime-and-justice, entertainment, general-news, and politics instigated by the later controversial police intervention in July 2025.
