Emergency personnel and police work near the scene where one person was killed and around 15 injured after a car is believed to have hit the crowd on the outskirts of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) (Image: RALF HIRSCHBERGER/Getty Images)

Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) Pride parade was called off on Saturday night after police said a vehicle entered the Tiergarten park near the march route and hit several people, leaving multiple injuries. So far, there has been one reported death, with several people sustaining life-threatening injuries.

A major incident was declared in the German capital after reports that a car crashed into a crowd close to the parade route through the city.

In a message shared by police, officers said: “We believe that a vehicle entered the Tiergarten park and hit several people and injured them,” adding that they were actively seeking those responsible.

Berlin Police also said in a statement: “We are currently deployed with numerous police forces as well as rescue units from the Berlin Fire Department in the Großer Tiergarten. It is presumed that a vehicle has driven into the Tiergarten here, has struck and injured several people. The injured are currently being treated by rescue personnel. We are conducting an intensive manhunt for suspects.”

Organisers urged people to leave the area safely, writing: “Please leave the premises calmly and in an orderly manner. Please avoid the Victory Column and the Tiergarten. Leave the premises in the direction of the main train station.”

A Berlin police spokesman, Florian Nath, said “numerous” people were injured, including several with life-threatening injuries. He also said a white vehicle was driven into the Tiergarten and hit several people along the Ahornsteig, a road through the park.

Police did not give a confirmed number of injured people in their initial public updates, and said they were searching for one or more suspects.

One German outlet has reportedly said one person died and 14 others were receiving medical treatment, citing police for the figures.

Christopher Street Day (CSD) is the name used for Pride events across Germany, commemorating the Stonewall uprising on New York’s Christopher Street. Berlin’s CSD typically draws large crowds and is a flagship LGBTQ+ visibility event in Germany, combining protest roots with celebration.

Pride events around the world in recent years have faced heightened security planning due to threats, counter-protests, and occasional violence, with safety messaging often central to organising, including after two people were shot near the Stonewall Inn following New York Pride.

The CSD board told crowds from the stage: “Unfortunately, we have to end the event prematurely due to a difficult situation.”

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