The shock and grief following the suspected Islamist terrorist attack on the CSD in Berlin are immense. One woman was killed, and 29 people were injured, some seriously. Alfonso Pantisano (SPD), the Berlin Senate’s Commissioner for Queer Affairs, was at the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday evening when a white minivan drove into the crowd near Tiergarten. In this interview with the Berliner Morgenpost, he describes how he experienced the attack and what he believes must happen now.

Mr. Pantisano, where exactly were you when the vehicle was driven into the crowd near Tiergarten?

Alfonso Pantisano: I was backstage at the stage by the Brandenburg Gate together with a member of the CSD board. We were talking. He had just taken a bite of a bread roll because he had barely had time to eat all day. He was wearing a headset when, shortly after 10 p.m., he received a message. He said, “Shit,” and ran off. Shortly afterward, the announcement came that the event was being canceled. As soon as I realized what had happened, I immediately picked up the phone and informed Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. That was only a few minutes after the attack. I was then evacuated along with everyone else. Everything happened within minutes. I would particularly like to thank the CSD organizers and the many volunteers who guided us all out of this dangerous situation so calmly and professionally.

How are you feeling today after this experience?

I am deeply saddened and profoundly shocked. I am thinking of the victims of this attack, and of the woman who lost her life. But I am also thinking about what this means for the bereaved families. And, of course, for the people who had to witness the attack. How young were they? Was this perhaps their first CSD? What kind of fear will they now carry into their lives, into their queer lives? At the moment, I do not know what words I can use to help them believe that things will get better.

Have you been in contact with the victims?

Only a few hours have passed since the attack. In my view, it would be presumptuous to contact the victims so soon. So far, I have no information about who they are. Right now, I am simply trying to understand the situation. That is why I stayed near the scene after the evacuation. I did not want to leave. My role now is to stand firmly with the queer community and reassure people that they can rely on us.

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How do you interpret this attack?

The queer community is once again under attack from all sides, including the far right. There is so much hatred and hostility directed at the way we live. Unfortunately, however, extremists are not the only problem. Society as a whole also plays a role. We repeatedly experience serious hostility from neighbors, colleagues and even strangers on the street. We are being portrayed as annoying because we demand equal rights, as though we somehow want too much. Yet we only want the same rights as everyone else. Human dignity is inviolable. That is what Germany’s Basic Law says.

What consequences must now follow?

It is still too early to talk about consequences. Right now, our full attention must be on the victims and their families. But we must also care for the young people who were standing nearby and witnessed everything. The queer community is grieving, and we have to ask ourselves how we deal with that grief. At the same time, I realize that no matter how much we do to improve security, we are powerless against this kind of violence. We will never be able to prevent events like this completely.

Will the CSD ever be the same again?

The CSD has always been a place where we also remember those we have lost. And I believe that every future CSD will carry the memory of this terrible act. From now on, this day will be a day of mourning for the community, and it will remain so whenever we take to the streets together for the CSD in the future.

So despite the attack, this was not the last CSD?

Absolutely not! We will never allow anyone to stop us from taking to the streets and showing our diversity. In doing so, we pave the way for young people. They must be able to experience that they are okay just as they are, that they are loved, and that they have the right to live their lives in the way they believe is right. As long as I have a voice, I will always use it to ensure that these young people can continue to claim that right for themselves. I still remember my first CSD many years ago and that feeling of freedom it gave me. I am now 52 years old and still fighting for equality for my community.

This article was originally written and published on the 26th of July in German. It was translated in English with the use of Artificial Intelligence.