DistantNews
Support us
Merz calls Berlin CSD attack 'attack on our society'
🇩🇪 Germany /Conflict & Security

Merz calls Berlin CSD attack 'attack on our society'

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the terrorist attack on the Berlin CSD, urging citizens not to be intimidated and vowing societal unity against extremism.
  • Merz described the attack as an Islamist terrorist act aimed at dividing society and eroding openness and freedom, promising consequences without specifying them.
  • The Chancellor's remarks drew criticism on social media for perceived generalizations and for not explicitly naming the LGBTQ+ community as the target, with some also recalling his past controversial statements.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has condemned the terrorist attack on the Berlin CSD, calling it an "attack on our society" and urging people not to be intimidated. Speaking before a memorial service, Merz stated that such acts aim to divide society and strip away its openness and freedom. He vowed to defend "the freedom, openness, and liberality of our lives and our society."

They want to divide our society, they want to take away the most important thing we have, namely our openness and our freedom.

— Friedrich MerzChancellor Merz explaining the motive behind the attack.

Merz characterized the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack and promised unspecified consequences, declaring, "We will not allow the poison of terrorism to spread in our society." He later visited the attack site in Tiergarten to lay flowers alongside Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Berlin's Interior Senator Iris Spranger.

Let yourselves, let us not be intimidated.

— Friedrich MerzChancellor Merz's message to the CSD participants and the public.

However, Merz's statements faced criticism online. Blogger Dominik Wieland argued that Merz's generalizations marginalized the queer community. Other users criticized his failure to explicitly identify the LGBTQ+ community as the target and recalled his past remarks about homosexuals. Further criticism arose regarding Merz's planned attendance at a dinner in Paderborn while the perpetrator remained at large. Merz defended his decision, stating it was a deliberate act to show that life must continue despite terror.

We are more, we are stronger, and we stand together in our country.

— Friedrich MerzChancellor Merz expressing national unity in the face of the attack.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog