Magdeburg Pride draws thousands as AfD leads state election polls

Around three thousand people marched in Magdeburg’s Pride parade, showing support for LGBT rights ahead of a state election where the far-right AfD is ahead in the polls, with heightened security after a recent Berlin Pride attack.

On Saturday, roughly three thousand people gathered at Magdeburg’s Domplatz for the city’s annual Christopher Street Day parade, rallying under the “Vote for Love” banner to defend LGBT rights ahead of the September 6 state election in Saxony-Anhalt. The far-right Alternative for Germany leads polls and its “Vision 2026” manifesto calls for a traditional male-female family model in schools, prompting activists to stress the stakes.

The parade was relocated to the square before the state parliament to increase political visibility and simplify security arrangements, with multiple party tents present but the AfD absent. Participants such as Elias, a trans man from Austria, described daily hurdles from restroom access to hormone treatment and expressed doubt that conditions will improve under an AfD government. The event took place under heightened police presence, including barriers and patrols, after a vehicle attack on Berlin Pride that killed six people in 2024. Organisers said the location change also helped protect the crowd, marking the first time the celebration was held at Domplatz.