The memorial tree for the victims of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) attack in Berlin’s Tiergarten park has been uprooted. As the police situation centre informed rbb on Sunday morning, officers discovered the damaged maple tree during a patrol around 1:20 am on Sunday morning.
The tree has now been pulled from the ground, and its roots are exposed. Other items in the vicinity, such as candles and pictures, were also damaged and some were partially destroyed, police said.
Werner Graf, the leader of the Green Party parliamentary group in Berlin, expressed his shock. “I am filled with anger and disbelief, but also defiant,” he declared. “I say to all queer people in this city: You are not alone.” Graf announced: “We will replant this tree. As often as necessary.”
The tree was planted about a month ago at the site of a suspected Islamist attack on the CSD parade at the end of July. The French maple replaced a tree that was so badly damaged in the attack that it had to be felled.
During the planting, it was announced that the new tree would be protected with a metal grid. Cards, photos, flowers, or personal messages could then be attached to it.
Earlier this week, the rainbow bench, which had been installed after the attack, was also badly damaged. According to police, several wooden slats were removed from the metal frame “with considerable physical force,” and the backrest was broken off from the rest of the frame. The district filed a criminal complaint against persons unknown and announced plans to rebuild the bench.
