Amsterdam mayor plans extra Pride security measures after 1 killed in Berlin

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said Sunday that extra security measures will be taken where necessary for WorldPride celebrations in the city following an attack in Berlin. A vehicle was driven into a crowd at a Berlin Pride event, killing one person and injuring at least 16 others in the city center.

Amsterdam is hosting WorldPride this year. The canal boat parade is scheduled for Aug. 1, with a large Pride march planned a week later.

Halsema made the announcement on social media. “What horrible news from Berlin: an attack on the freedom that we are also celebrating on a grand scale in Amsterdam these weeks,” the mayor said. “I can well imagine that it evokes not only anger but also fear and concerns among the visitors and participants of Pride in Amsterdam.”

Halsema said the triangle—the local consultation body of mayor, police, and public prosecutor—has conferred and maintained close contact with the organizers.

“The security of Pride and comparable large events is always of a high level in Amsterdam,” she said. “Where necessary we will take extra measures, of which visitors will hopefully notice as little as possible.”