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ANTWERP PRIDE 2026 | Police maintain Pride security plans after Berlin attack as LGBTQIA+ groups call for stronger action against hate

by Timothy••0

2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.

Antwerp Police will not introduce additional security measures for next week’s Antwerp Pride following the deadly attack at Berlin‘s Christopher Street Day (CSD) celebrations, but say they are closely monitoring the situation and remain ready to adapt their deployment if necessary. The announcement comes as LGBTQIA+ organisations warn of rising anti-LGBTQIA+ hostility in Belgium and call on governments to make tackling hate crimes a political priority.

Police said the security approach for Antwerp Pride had already been designed with the nature of the large-scale event in mind and includes both highly visible and plain-clothes officers throughout the parade and accompanying events. While declining to disclose operational details, the force said it remained in close contact with organisers, was following developments in Germany closely and could quickly adjust its deployment if required.

Pride organisers refuse to let fear prevail

Antwerp Pride chair Geert Van Praet said the attack in Berlin had been an emotional shock and described it as a nightmare scenario for any Pride organiser. However, he expressed confidence in Antwerp Police’s preparations and said the organisation would not change its plans. He said the event’s 2026 theme, ‘Fearless‘, had become even more relevant in the wake of the attack, arguing that it is now more important than ever for people to take to the streets in support of tolerance and LGBTQIA+ visibility.

Former Antwerp Pride chair Bart Abeel also said the Berlin attack would inevitably sharpen security assessments for Pride events across Europe, but warned against allowing fear to dominate. He argued that turning Pride into a fully securitised event would undermine its purpose and defended the long-standing decision not to place barriers between parade participants and spectators, saying Pride should remain an event people actively participate in rather than simply watch.

Organisers stressed that safety extends beyond the Pride weekend itself. Van Praet noted that while security can be closely managed during the event, many LGBTQIA+ people continue to face verbal abuse, harassment and violence in everyday life after the celebrations end.

Çavaria warns of growing anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment

The attack in Berlin has also prompted renewed calls from Flemish LGBTQIA+ umbrella organisation çavaria for a tougher response to hate, extremism and violence. The organisation said the prevention of a suspected attack on Leuven Pride demonstrated the importance of vigilant security services, but argued that policing alone is insufficient and that governments must address the wider causes of anti-LGBTQIA+ violence.

Çavaria pointed to research showing that between 80 and 90% of LGBTQIA+ people in Flanders have experienced some form of verbal, physical or sexual violence during their lives. It also highlighted recent survey findings indicating that almost one in five young people in Flanders now consider violence against gay people acceptable, compared with fewer than one in ten in 2018.

The organisation attributed the rise in hostility to a combination of religious extremism, far-right movements and online radicalisation networks such as the “manosphere”, arguing that these ideologies share hostility towards LGBTQIA+ people and other minorities despite their different political backgrounds.

Calls for stronger action

Çavaria called on Belgian authorities to make the fight against hate, radicalisation and violence a political priority. It urged police and the justice system to improve the registration and investigation of hate crimes targeting LGBTQIA+ people, provide better support for victims and ensure perpetrators are effectively prosecuted.

The organisation also renewed its call for mandatory education on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender diversity in schools, arguing that many young people are primarily exposed to negative narratives about LGBTQIA+ people through social media. In addition, it called for governments to require social media platforms to adjust their recommendation algorithms to limit the spread of hate content.

Pride to go ahead as planned

Despite the security concerns following Berlin, Antwerp Pride organisers insisted that the event would continue as planned from 5 to 9 August. They argued that Pride has always been both a celebration and a protest, and that maintaining the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community is itself a response to those seeking to intimidate it.

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🇧🇪 Blogger, keen vexillologist, train conductor NMBS/SNCB, traveller, F1 follower, friend of Dorothy.

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