Germany's Pride celebrations took a grim turn on Saturday night when a driver plowed a van into a crowd at the edge of Berlin's Tiergarten park, killing one person and injuring 16 others - several critically. The incident forced organizers to abruptly end one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ events, which had drawn hundreds of thousands of revelers in the summer sunshine.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz, apparently not in a joking mood, vowed to punish those responsible. Police launched a manhunt for the driver, who abandoned the white van in the park after the 10pm attack. Sirens filled the air as emergency services set up a helicopter landing pad near the Reichstag to ferry the wounded to hospitals.

Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, called it “an attack on our free and cosmopolitan society” - which is a fancy way of saying someone drove a van into a pride parade. The parade, known locally as Christopher Street Day (CSD), was marking its 46th year in Berlin, having started in West Berlin in 1979. This year's motto was “Taking a stand is hot,” a response to what organizers called “increasing hostility” toward queer people in Germany.

That hostility, campaigners say, has been fueled by the rise of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party and an uptick in Islamist-inspired attacks. Berlin is set to hold a state election in September, adding a layer of political tension to an already fraught situation. For now, the city is left to mourn and wonder how a celebration of freedom turned into a crime scene.