Thousands defy severe weather warnings, exhibitionist arrested

Accompanied by severe weather warnings, thousands of people celebrated the Carnival of Cultures parade in Berlin on Sunday. The police were deployed with up to 1,300 people, as they wrote on the Internet service X. “Take good care of yourself!” wrote the emergency services in response to the warning of strong thunderstorms from the German Weather Service. Ultimately, the visitors were lucky and were initially spared.

The colorful parade started at Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg in the early afternoon at 2:08 p.m. The path leads over Hasenheide to Hermannplatz in Neukölln. The route of the cars goes via Gneisenaustraße and Hasenheide to the destination Hermannplatz, where the groups are currently arriving one by one. The last group is expected to reach Hermannplatz around 9:30 p.m.

The route has been extended again to around three kilometers compared to the previous year. The area is cordoned off over a large area. This year, 59 groups and more than 3,500 participants are taking part in the parade. According to the organizers, that is almost as many as before the corona pandemic. The police spoke of 35 moving vans on the route on Sunday.

There was an arrest on the sidelines of the parade. According to the police, this was a man who was taken into custody for exhibitionist acts. A police spokeswoman told the Berliner Zeitung that the police operation on the day of the move had so far “gone according to plan and there were no major incidents”. Most of the arrests were for “event-typical crimes” such as pickpocketing.

“Fortunately, the weather held up for the most part, and the issue of violence didn’t really hit home,” the spokeswoman continued. Of course, that could change in the evening, when the consequences of a day of heavy drinking still become apparent for many visitors. “But we are well prepared for it and have many emergency services on duty,” said the spokeswoman.

Photo gallery

Hundreds of carnival participants wore colorful make-up.Monika Skolimowska/dpa

It is estimated that 10,000 people gathered at Mehringdamm.Elizabeth Rushton

Dancers at the intersection of Yorckstraße/MehringdammMarkus Wachter

This car makes a satirical reference to the AfD’s remigration plans.Markus Wachter

International celebration atmosphere at the Carnival of CulturesMarkus Wachter

Thousands have come to Kreuzberg. A group of dancers from Chile is showing what they can doMarkus Wachter

A street parade in bad weather.Markus Waechter/Berliner Zeitung

The group Sapucaia no Samba at the Carnival of CulturesMarkus Waechter/Berliner Zeitung

A group at the Carnival of Cultures making fun of the AfD.Markus Waechter/Berliner Zeitung

Sarcastic humor at the Carnival of CulturesMarkus Waechter/Berliner Zeitung

In the run-up to the traditional parade at the Berlin Carnival of Cultures, the police towed away more than 200 illegally parked vehicles. The route has been adapted for the parade since early morning and cars have been moved. Affected car owners will find out where their vehicle ended up by calling the police, it was said. Because of the parking violation, they would have to expect administrative offense proceedings, and there would also be a bill for the towing costs.

In the afternoon around 3:15 p.m., many visitors sensed that the storm was approaching and, as a precaution, sought shelter in the Gneisenaustraße subway station – which, however, was closed. A team of BVG employees directed the people to the Südstern – the anger became noticeably greater for many.

At a construction site on Gneisenaustraße, revelers had completely different problems. They climbed over a fence and apparently looked for high places on a toilet container to either get a better view of the parade or to get to the other street where a DJ was playing reggaeton loudly, sparking a dance party.

Shortly afterwards it started to rain around 4 p.m. Many people continued to dance between the food and drink stands, and residents along the parade also looked out of the window and danced along. Many had umbrellas with them. At some point the streets became a little empty. The parade continued, but with a slightly larger gap between the groups. A short time later the rain stopped. The storm passed the carnival. Overall, the storm was less severe than feared. From around 5 p.m. the sun shone again.

Several young people climb onto a toilet container and over a fence. Elizabeth Rushton/Berliner Zeitung

Not only does the police ensure safety along the parade route, so-called awareness teams are also on the move to provide assistance in various situations. “We are basically the first responders before the paramedics – for example, to help people in discrimination situations or when they panic because of the large crowd,” says awareness helper Luise, who started her shift around 6 p.m. “Even if people have seen something that makes them feel uncomfortable in the broadest sense, they can turn to us.” In particular, the current political tensions in Berlin and the wider world are causing the helpers to look a little harder for possible problems than usual in awareness work, says Luise.

At the end of the parade route at Hermannplatz there are many emotions – the groups applaud each other and hug each other. There is also relief after completing the approximately three kilometer route. A group of Bolivian dancers take off their high-heeled dancing shoes and groan with relief. But they can’t stand still for that long: stewards and police officers move the groups that have arrived so that all other groups can arrive smoothly by the planned end at 9:30 p.m

The Carnival of Cultures lasts a total of four days and started on Friday. The parade is the highlight of the outdoor street festival. The Carnival of Cultures, which has been taking place on Pentecost weekend since 1996, aims to promote cultural diversity and artistic freedom.

The Carnival of Cultures began in 1996. As a result of racism and numerous attacks, it was intended to be a symbol of diversity and peaceful coexistence. The event sees itself as “the largest cultural intervention in public space in Germany” that clearly advocates against right-wing extremism and for a free, sustainable and peaceful society.