Sexual Diversity | Berlin: Marzahn Pride defies hostility

Around 200 people were waiting for a train on S-Bahn line 7 at Ostkreuz station on Saturday afternoon. Some of them had rainbow buttons pinned to their summer clothes or bags. Their destination was this year's Marzahn Pride. The Pride demonstration is a unique event in the outlying district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. This year, it was caught up in social reality. As in many places in Germany, neo-Nazis in Marzahn have announced they will demonstrate against the Pride.

But the organizers of "Quarteera" refuse to be intimidated. The association is a contact point for Russian-speaking LGBTIQ* people. It is now organizing Marzahn Pride for the sixth time. It is multilingual and thus appeals to many migrants. "This year, it is more important than ever to organize a Pride, especially in Marzahn," a member of "Quarteera" told "nd." However, they do not want their name to appear in the newspaper, arguing that hostility towards Pride events is increasing significantly. Nevertheless, the registration of the neo-Nazi "counter-demonstration" was "shocking news" for the organizers.

Since its inception, Marzahn Pride has been the target of hostility. In recent years, there have been instances of harassment and egg-throwing during the march, as well as anti-queer graffiti along the route. In 2023, neo-Nazis from the micro-party "Dritter Weg" attempted to photograph participants in the closing ceremony. The Berlin initiative Maneo registered 738 cases of anti-queer hostility and violence across Berlin last year—eight percent more than in 2023.

In Brandenburg, the number of crimes against queer people recorded by the police rose by 74 percent to 118 in 2024. Last weekend, neo-Nazis attacked the "Bad Freienwalde is Colorful" community festival. In connection with this , the apartment of a suspected member of the "Third Way" and that of his parents were searched. A Christopher Street Day demonstration in Eberswalde with 1,000 participants passed off without incident on Saturday.

Due to the increased threat, Berlin's Queer Affairs Commissioner Alfonso Pantisano (SPD) called for the support of the Senate Department for the Interior and the Berlin Police Commissioner a few days before Marzahn Pride. Gordon Lemm (SPD), District Councilor for Youth and Family, also expressed his support for the rally in advance: "Pride stands for diversity, visibility, and human rights, and we won't let right-wing agitators take that away from us." Both Pantisano and Lemm spoke at the closing rally in Marzahn on Saturday.

"Of course there are neo-Nazis in Marzahn. But we – queer, migrant people – exist too. We stand together against this!"

Organizer from the Quarteera association

Tables were already being set up on Viktor-Klemperer-Platz on Saturday morning. Following the parade, there will be a celebration with speeches, information booths, music, and performances. According to organizers, around 2,000 people marched through Marzahn-Hellersdorf with various Pride flags and signs bearing anti-fascist messages. Last year, just 450 participated. With the good weather, many came to take a stand against right-wing threats. Several youth anti-fascist groups from the district had called for "queers in Marzahn not to be left alone."

The previously announced neo-Nazi rally, however, was barely noticeable. Around midday, around 45 right-wing extremists met on a meadow on Raoul-Wallenberg-Straße. Shielded by dense bushes, some defiantly held a banner of the neo-Nazi party "Die Heimat." The organizer was Julian M., the alleged leader of the neo-Nazi group "Deutsche Jugend Voran" (German Youth Forward), and is known for his violent tendencies. He was recently sentenced to three years and three months in prison for several attacks. The verdict is not yet final. He is spending the time until his prison sentence begins attending anti-queer rallies throughout Germany.

In Marzahn, M. also hyped things up with a megaphone. However, the neo-Nazis' original route has been banned by the police. Instead, they plan to spontaneously march through Lichtenberg. The approximately eleven-kilometer route begins at the corner of Landsberger Allee and Rhinstraße. However, the approximately 40 remaining participants are only allowed to use the sidewalk and are closely monitored by police. After less than an hour, they end their gathering early. The final destination, in front of a newly opened refugee shelter on Weißenseer Weg, is intended to provoke.

Meanwhile, rapper Zavet is performing on the Marzahn Pride stage. "Our flowers also grow through the gray of the prefab buildings," blares through the speakers, while Pride flags flutter in the breeze. Many participants are now resting in the shade. Only occasionally do young neo-Nazis stray to the edge of the square, but then quickly disappear again. According to a police spokesperson, officers prevented an attack on departing participants after the parade ended. No further details were immediately released.

Despite all the hostility, Marzahn Pride sent an important signal of solidarity in the district, says one of the organizers of "Quarteera": "Of course, there are neo-Nazis in Marzahn. But we – queer, migrant people – exist too. We stand together against this!"