As the summer approaches, German authorities are preparing for potential attacks on Christopher Street Day (CSD) events, according to a survey of state interior ministries by the German news magazine, Der Spiegel.
In Saxony, the police have adjusted their deployment plans in anticipation of a heightened risk of attacks, violence and disruptions. The Constitutional Protection Office in North Rhine-Westphalia has identified a heightened potential for assaults or attacks on CSD parades from the right-wing and Islamist extremist spectrum. Right-wing extremists, it is believed, view CSD events as a “symbolic enemy image” that can provide a high level of public visibility. In recent years, the number of crimes committed due to gender diversity and sexual orientation has increased, as has the number of violent incidents.
While there are no concrete threats reported in Germany and other countries, the police in Hesse will provide security for 13 CSD events this summer. The number of queer-motivated crimes in Hesse rose by over 50 cases in the past year, to a total of 135, with a significant dark figure. “It is alarming that more and more queer people are becoming victims of crime” said Hesse’s Interior Minister, Roman Poseck of the Christian Democratic Union.
Right-wing extremist youth groups are often behind attacks on CSD events, according to the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Interior Ministry. These groups can quickly mobilize a large number of people, including those who previously had no connection to the scene.