Up to half a million people in rainbow colors and Pride flags will take to the streets of central Berlin. Christopher Street Day in Berlin draws hundreds of thousands of participants and spectators.

Pride in Berlin is called Christopher Street Day

Christopher Street Day in Berlin is named after a street in New York City where Pride started.

Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Christopher Street in New York, was often raided by the police in the 1960s. On June 28, 1969, people inside had enough. Riots started outside the bar between the guests and the police.

The street fights went on for several days, with violence, thrown stones, and fires in the streets. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people all joined the uprising against the police.

The following year, the LGBT+ community commemorated the riots with marches in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, marking the first-ever Pride demonstration.

What is the CSD in Berlin about?

Christopher Street Day follows the original idea of Pride and focuses on being a protest, not just a parade, for LGBT+ rights.

The demonstration stretches for several kilometers, even longer than the route itself. Loudspeaker trucks with organizers shouting this year’s protest motto lead the way, while sponsor vans follow at the rear of the march.

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