Berlin is known for its large-scale street celebrations — but after the tragic attack on the Christopher Street Day parade that cut Pride short last weekend, the city will miss at least one of its usual outdoor festivities this year, as organisers grapple with how to protect such events.
It was announced Wednesday that Zug der Liebe, also known as the Love Parade, will not take place this year as planned. The techno street party, held annually since 2015, cited the post-attack social and political climate as the deciding factor in the cancellation. The event had been scheduled for August 29.
"Now is not the right time to be celebrating in the streets," founder Jens Schwan told rbb.
HEIST is a worker-owned online magazine, founded by writers and editors who after years working across Berlin's media landscape believed something essential was missing.
Anyone living here has felt a growing gap between the city as it actually is and the version being served up by mainstream outlets. We experienced that disconnect firsthand. We saw political censorship shape coverage decisions and felt the weight of billionaire ownership land directly on our work. It reached a point where we could either keep going along with it, or try to build something better.
That's why we created HEIST.
And look at you: scrolling, clicking, squinting at blurred text just to get a little further. If you'll go to that much effort to read HEIST, you can surely give us one email. That's the whole price, and the rest of the story is right behind it.
Real journalism costs money. We commission the hard-hitting, well-reported, long-form work everyone wants to read but nobody seems to publish anymore.
The future of this city is still in the balance. We intend to be part of that struggle. We hope that you'll join us.