Countdown to the CSD is running: Half a million people are expecting in Berlin next Saturday

Countdown to the CSD is running: Half a million people are expecting in Berlin next Saturday

Countdown to the CSD in Berlin

In Berlin, the countdown to Christopher Street Day (CSD) is imminent. Next Saturday, over half a million people will be expected to celebrate and protest together. The participants: Inside the CSD demand more visibility, social diversity and, above all, more rights for queer people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The 45th CSD parade starts on July 22nd at 12 p.m. at Leipziger Strasse Corner Spittelmarkt in Berlin-Mitte. The route leads over Leipziger Straße, past the Federal Council and via Potsdamer Platz to Nollendorfplatz. From there it goes on to Karl-Heinrich-Ulrichs-Straße in the direction of Lützowplatz. The move crosses the Landwehr Canal via the Hercules Bridge and reaches the big star into Klingelhöferstrasse. The big CSD final takes place there, in which the first trucks and foot groups are expected at the Brandenburg Gate from 4:30 p.m.

A special feature of this year's CSD is the Progress Pride Flag. This is an extended version of the rainbow flag. The Progress Pride Flag was designed by the graphic designer Daniel Quasar in 2018 and contains additional symbols that stand for trans people, queer people of color and people who have died from AIDS or suffer from stigmatization. The color design of the flag should represent the variety of queer movement.

Due to the CSD, there are traffic restrictions in the middle and the zoo. The streets of June 17th, Ebertstrasse, Yitzhak-Rabin-Straße and Pariser Platz are partially closed. Some subway stations of the BVG and S-Bahn stations are expected to be closed during the demo. The traffic information center therefore recommends that all visitors: to travel by public transport.

This year's CSD demonstration is under the motto "Be their voice-and our! ... for more empathy and solidarity!". The Berliner CSD e.V. would like to point out conflicts with the motto, both externally and internally.

The CSD parade is divided into four blocks at this year's edition. In the first block there are vehicles of the Berlin CSD and close partners: in the second block, queer clubs and associations follow. Parties, ministries and messages are represented in the third block, such as the CSD truck of the US message. In the fourth block, companies and brands present themselves, which is criticized by some critics: inside as a commercialization of the demo.

The Berlin CSD e.V. has limited the number of approved cars to 75 in order to keep the ecological footprint of the event as low as possible. Companies such as Ikea, Axel-Springer-Verlag, Rewe, Amazon and Mampe Spiritors are represented with their own cars. The prices for a car in the CSD vary greatly.

The CSD is an important event to stand up with queer people for more visibility, acceptance and solidarity. This year's CSD in Berlin promises to become diverse and energetic again.