Copenhagen Pride holds its main parade in the Danish capital on Saturday, three weeks after a deadly attack near Berlin’s Pride celebrations. Among those marching is Benjamin Ormand, an intensive care nurse who was in Berlin when the attack took place.
DR reports that the parade sets off from Frederiksberg Rådhusplads at 1 p.m. on August 15, 2026. Ormand, who volunteers with Lambda, an LGBTQ+ community on Funen, attended Berlin Pride three weeks ago with his friend Niklas Frandsen.
Per DR, the two friends talked during the Berlin event about whether such a large gathering could be a target. They passed through the Tiergarten park, and the attack took place there about two hours later. They first learned of it while queuing outside a dance club, when messages arrived from friends and family asking if they were safe.
The following Monday they returned to the area near Tiergarten, where Ormand told DR the mood had shifted from celebration to grief. They bought flowers, both for themselves and on behalf of the communities they belong to in Odense.
What happened in Berlin
Reuters reported that a van was driven into pedestrians near the Christopher Street Day celebrations in Tiergarten at around 10 p.m. on July 25, 2026. One person was killed and, according to Euronews, at least 29 people were injured.
Deutsche Welle noted that earlier official estimates had put the number of wounded at 16 before the count was revised upward. As reported by the BBC, the suspect was named as Abdul Ballout, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese background, who allegedly struck bystanders with a machete after the van hit a tree.
Reuters reported that the suspect was shot dead by police in a Berlin suburb the day after the attack. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the case was being treated as an Islamist terror attack, according to Al Jazeera, which also reported that investigators found a video in which the suspect pledged allegiance to ISIL.
Euronews stated that organizers called off the remaining Christopher Street Day program in Berlin after the attack, including parts of the parade and a concert. Reuters reported memorials and vigils in the following days near the Brandenburg Gate and inside Tiergarten.
Ormand told DR that the experience in Berlin has not kept him at home for the Copenhagen Pride parade. He said he trusts that police and other security staff are covering as many risk areas as possible.
He added that he will pay closer attention to his surroundings than he otherwise would, including looking for possible exits. He described himself as attentive rather than worried about taking part in the march through Denmark‘s capital.
