VIENNA — Two apparent homophobic attacks were reported after the annual pro-LGBTQ celebration on Berlin’s Christopher Street on Saturday, police said Sunday.
In one incident, two girls, aged 16 and 17, and a 15-year-old boy clashed with a group of nine people in Berlin’s Mitte district on Saturday night. The group approached the two girls and made anti-gay remarks at the two girls, police said, possibly because of their clothing.
When the 16-year-old girl answered, a man in the group knocked her hat off her head and tripped her, causing her to fall to the ground. When she stood up, the same man punched her in the face, then ran away.
The girl had minor injuries, including a cut on her lip, but refused help from EMS.
In the center of Berlin around 3:15 a.m. on Sunday, a group of eight people insulted a 32-year-old man. As he ran, they caught up with him and physically assaulted him, kicking him on the head and upper body as he lay on the ground.
A woman passing by saw the attack and stood in front of the victim, causing the attackers to flee.
The man has cuts and bruises and was treated on an outpatient basis.
The incidents came at the end of a day in which hundreds of thousands came out in support of LGBTQ rights across the city. Final police estimates put the total crowd at 350,000, after revising their original estimate of 150,000.
The parade itself was peaceful, the police said.
Saturday was the first time Berlin’s annual celebration went largely unrestricted since the start of the coronavirus pandemic: it was canceled in 2020 and significantly less last year due to pandemic-related rules.
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