Sorrow, outrage and unity swept Berlin's LGBTQ community after the weekend car assault during annual Pride events, leaving one dead and over a dozen wounded and drawing sharp criticism from EU officials plus politicians globally.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz called the attack late on Saturday (25 July), where a white van struck a crowd near Tiergarten Park killing one woman and injuring at least 29 others, "despicable" and "an assault on our society."

Berlin's mayor Kai Wegner labeled it "an assault on our open and diverse society," stating "Berlin is the city of liberty - and our liberty has been terribly violated."

Officials reported the suspect, a 21-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent, had alleged links to Islamist extremist networks and was shot dead by police the next day.

Concerns linger about security measures and how the vehicle breached the area, prompting other major city events to tighten protocols including ongoing WorldPride in Amsterdam and Prague Pride next month.

"This amounts to an assault on the principles shaping our Union. The European Union rejects all forms of hatred, extremism and violence in the strongest terms," said EU Council president António Costa.

"Everyone must live, love and defend their rights without fear. There is no room for hatred and violence in our societies," stated EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen on social media.

"We stand together with the LGBTQI+ community," she added as thousands attended a vigil in Berlin.

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola echoed: "We will keep standing united against those who spread fear and division."

In Europe about half of LGBTIQ+ people (55 percent) report hate-motivated harassment (up 18 points since 2019) per Europe's Fundamental Rights Agency survey.