Amsterdam steps up Pride security in wake of attack in Berlin

Amsterdam has stepped up security around this weekend’s WorldPride street parties and the annual canal parade in the wake of last week’s attack in Berlin.

A total of 250 concrete blocks have been placed along the canals and nightclubs are carrying out extra bag searches during the two-week event, which runs until August 8.

Richard Keldoulis of Club Church, one of Amsterdam’s best known gay clubs, told NOS: “I’ve never known anything like this.”

Venue owners are in constant contact with the police and intelligence services about appropriate security measures, although they conceded that it is almost impossible to prevent a so-called “lone wolf” attack by one person using a knife or a vehicle.

Last Sunday a woman was killed and 29 people were injured when a man drove a car into a crowd near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, where the annual Christopher Street Day parade, Germany’s main Pride event, was taking place.

The suspect, Abdul B., was later shot dead by police, who have said they are treating the incident as an Islamist terrorist attack.

Lone wolf attacks

“I come from Berlin and I was at the scene of the attack last week. I left the party few minutes before it all went wrong, but my friends were still there,” Keldoulis said.

“It’s always nice to feel safe, but ultimately you can never rule it out altogether. There were barriers and security measures in Berlin as well, but it still went wrong.”

Michel Peters, chair of the gay police association Roze in Blauw (“pink in blue”), said police would maintain a high-visibility presence during the weekend.

“We are there mainly to maintain contact with the [LGBTQI+] community,” he said. “We want to do more to show that we are there in the coming dys, so that people know they can approach us when something is going on.”

On Tuesday evening thousands of people in Amsterdam gathered at the Homomonument, the national memorial to victims of homophobic persecution, to commemorate the victims of Berlin.

City mayor Femke Halsema addressed the crowd, calling for courage and resilience. “We will win if we keep spreading hope loud and clear,” she said.