One woman has been killed, with at least 29 people injured
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY BASEIMAGE
On Saturday night (25 July), one woman was killed, and at least 29 people were injured, after a van was driven into a crowd at a Berlin Pride event. Officials have stated that this was likely an “Islamist terror attack”. The suspect, Abdul Ballout, was shot and killed during a police operation.
Hundreds of thousands of Pride goers had gathered at Tiergarten park for the Pride event, which is known as Christopher Street Day. There were also reports of stabbings at the event, allegedly by a machete. The Pride event was cancelled shortly after these attacks, with performances stopped abruptly.
On Sunday (26 July), police stood guard outside the suspect’s home. Ballout was shot and killed after he allegedly came towards officers with a knife. Officials have stated that he was known to police and had been radicalised.
Vigils have taken place at Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten Park, with residents of Berlin paying their respects to the victims of the attack. Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with rainbow colours, and the words “Berlin, City of Freedom” were projected onto the iconic landmark.
A statement by the Berlin public prosecutor’s office said that in 2025 Ballout travelled via Turkey to Lebanon with the intention of joining the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison for “preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state”. This decision was deferred for six months, and he was under the supervision of a parole officer.
LGBTQIA+ organisations around the world have responded to this attack. London Trans+ Pride, which also took place on Saturday, wrote on Instagram: “We are devastated by the horrific attack at Berlin Pride and stand in solidarity with everyone affected. Our hearts are with the person who was killed, those who were injured, their loved ones, the organisers and all of our LGBTQ+ siblings who were attending.
“We also reject any attempt by the far right to exploit this tragedy to fuel Islamophobia, racism or further division. The grief and fear of LGBTQ+ people must never be weaponised against another marginalised community. […] We will not allow violence to isolate us or take away our right to gather, protest, celebrate and live freely. An attack on one of us affects all of us. Our response must be care, solidarity and unity.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the incident “a heinous act” on X, stating that it was an “attack on our society”. He added, “We are open and freedom-loving—and we will preserve and defend that.”
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