Around 3,000 people marched in Magdeburg's Christopher Street Day parade on Saturday, rallying under the motto "Choose Love" two weeks before Saxony-Anhalt holds its state election. Police reported no incidents through the afternoon.
The 30th edition of the city's Pride event unfolded under heightened security following an attack on the fringes of Berlin's CSD nearly four weeks ago. Speakers and a church service addressed concerns over a potential victory by the Alternative for Germany in the upcoming vote, after the party campaigned against what it called a "perverse rainbow agenda."
Julian Miethig, a CSD Magdeburg board member, told a mid-rally gathering that democracy requires the protection of minorities. The demonstration gathered on the city's Domplatz, serving as both a celebration of diversity and a political statement ahead of the ballot.