Berlin, July 26th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – German authorities are now treating Saturday’s deadly attack near Christopher Street Day (CSD) as a suspected Islamist-motivated act of terrorism, with the case being handed to federal prosecutors. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) condemned the assault as an expression of what he called the “poison of terrorism” and urged the public not to be intimidated.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) said everything currently points to a terrorist act. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced that the Federal Prosecutor General’s Office would take over the investigation. According to Dobrindt, the attacker first struck people with a vehicle and then went on to attack additional victims with what is believed to have been a machete. One woman was killed and 29 others were hurt. By Sunday afternoon, police said none of the injured remained in life-threatening condition.
Merz: “We Will Not Be Intimidated”
Merz attended a memorial service at St. Mary’s Church in Berlin alongside Justice Minister Hubig and Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU). Speaking beforehand, he said such acts serve only one purpose — to divide society and strip away openness and freedom. He added: “I want to tell everyone taking part in CSD here in Berlin, and across Germany: Don’t let yourselves — let’s not let ourselves — be intimidated.” He said extremists and criminals of this kind have no place in the heart of society, adding, “We are more, we are stronger.”
Authorities say the suspect, 21-year-old Abdul B., had already radicalized and was known to belong to Berlin’s Islamist scene. Dobrindt said the man had previously drawn attention for a “high degree” of criminal offenses tied to Islamist radicalization, and had been given a suspended sentence of one year and ten months, which prosecutors are appealing. Dobrindt confirmed the suspect was born in Germany in 2005 and holds German citizenship. He has Lebanese heritage, and his mother was naturalized in Germany in 2002.
According to various German outlets, the suspect is reported to have sympathized with the Islamic State and to have tried to join the group in Syria. He had reportedly been classified as a security risk and, per one report, was scheduled to begin a deradicalization program the following Monday. Police say he has family in Berlin and was released from juvenile detention as recently as May.
Manhunt Continues
Federal police have been deployed at train stations, airports and border crossings as the search for the suspect continues. Authorities have repeated their warning to the public not to approach the man, describing him as slim and roughly 6’3″ (1.90 m) tall, and urging anyone who spots him to call 110 immediately rather than make contact.
Police spokesperson Florian Nath said several people were taken into custody after the attack, though he stopped short of calling them suspects, adding that investigators are still working from the hypothesis that more than one person may have been involved.
Wegner Defends Security Measures
Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) defended the security arrangements in place for the CSD celebrations, telling reporters near the scene that security had been strong overall and that the attacker had not struck along the parade route itself, thanks to the protective measures police and security agencies had put in place. Dobrindt nonetheless called on organizers of major public events and CSD celebrations generally to review their security concepts.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was shaken and appalled by the attack, calling it a strike against Germany’s open society and its way of living together, in remarks made at a Hindu community temple festival in Hamm.
Wegner separately described the attack as a brutal strike against a peaceful, colorful CSD and against Berlin’s identity as a city of freedom. Berlin CDU state-election candidate Stefan Evers said the city had been hit “right in the heart,” while the federal government’s queer affairs commissioner, Sophie Koch (SPD), wrote that those sowing hatred and violence would reap not fear but greater solidarity, diversity and visibility.
The attack has also reignited debate over domestic security policy. CDU interior-policy figure Günter Krings called for tougher sentencing for Islamist attackers, should the presumed motive be confirmed, and raised the idea of stricter naturalization rules. Fellow CDU lawmaker Alexander Throm said pending security legislation should be passed immediately after the summer recess. Terrorism researcher Felix Neumann of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation cautioned that attacks of this kind are, in practice, nearly impossible to fully prevent, even with extensive state measures.
Artists and Performers React
The attack also drew an outpouring of reaction from performers connected to the festival. Singer Sarah Connor, who had performed at Saturday’s closing rally, called the act “disgusting and senseless” on Instagram, while vowing she would perform again next year, “louder, more colorful” than before. Rapper Ikkimel, who had appeared at CSD’s “Democracy Evening” on Friday, wrote that love is never the mistake and that fear and hatred are never the answer, urging the community to “please, please stay strong.”
TV host Jochen Schropp, who hosted the main CSD program on Saturday, said he hoped the community would get through the aftermath together, describing having seen many people in shock. He also told broadcaster RTL that he feared that, should the presumed Islamist motive be confirmed, the attack could be politically exploited by the very forces that oppose queer rights and democratic values.
Entertainer Riccardo Simonetti, who had taken part in Stuttgart’s CSD parade the same day, wrote that he felt immediately ill on hearing the news and was appalled that such events are simply reality in 2026. Tokio Hotel singer Bill Kaulitz said he was thinking of the victims, friends and families affected. Former Rosenstolz singer Peter Plate wrote that there are no words for such a loss, but struck a defiant tone, asking whether hatred should be allowed to breed more hatred, or whether the community would hold on to what Pride has represented for decades — freedom, diversity, respect and humanity. “Our hearts are broken,” he wrote, “but we won’t let them be shattered. We will keep being loud. We will keep being visible.”
Events Canceled
Two additional CSD-related events planned for Sunday were canceled overnight. The federal victims’ commissioner, Roland Weber, has offered support services to those affected and their families.
During the CSD, some of the hundreds of thousands of participants had supported Islamist terror organizations in the Palestinian areas. Abdul B., the suspect in the CSD attack, follows the very same ideology those terror groups are known for.
