They just want to celebrate peacefully, to be themselves. But gays and lesbians are being attacked more and more frequently on Cologne’s trendy nightlife district. The gay and lesbian scene no longer feels safe.
A fortnight ago, a car crashed into celebrating homosexuals on Schaafenstraße, injuring a party guest (34). The perpetrator? Not caught. Since then, construction site beacons and warning tape are supposed to protect the location.
For landlords like Dieter Hennes (54, owns three trendy bars) this is not enough. “We already employ eight security guards and urgently need more police. Because: “They are depriving us of our safe space!
Since straight people have to leave other nightlife hotspots because of Corona, they move to Schaafenstraße. The result: “Disrespect starts with urination in the street, culminates in throwing bottles and homophobic insults. The situation escalates.”
Another trendy restaurateur sent a cry for help to the municipal authorities: “The chav cars from the Ring street have been driving at 60-70 km/h at night towards the people in the street for weeks.We are on the losing side and are threatened and insulted.” Lack of protection will “lead to deaths or serious injuries”. “And that is not an exaggeration!”
The BILD newspaper met Andreas Hupke (71, Greens), the mayor of the city centre, on the party mile. He finds the handling of the car attack in his city district so far scandalous! “We need the full support of the state. When a homosexual is attacked, the police have to be here in the evening. There is an urgent need for plainclothes officers. The municipality does not have to tolerate this.”
The Green politician also knows who the perpetrators of the aggression are. Because Schaafenstraße is directly on Cologne’s Ring street, the hotspot for shisha bars and event venues.
City Mayor Hupke: “Here, car posers with their upper arms pumped up by anabolic steroids become a threat. Of course it influences boys when they grow up in a culture where gays are insulted. These types of perpetrators attack homosexuals.”
Make-up influencer David Lovric (24, “Prince Charming”) has already been beaten up in Cologne just because he is gay. He said clearly to BILD: “I regularly receive death threats from Arabs, Turks and Russians.” The consequence for Lovric: accusations of racism against him!
David doesn’t want to lump entire population groups all together, but he just wants to celebrate peacefully. “Insults like ‘faggot’ and ‘you should be gassed’ are being hurled on Schaafenstraße. The situation has been more homophobic than ever for a few weeks.”
He now dodges lesbian bars, saying, “As long as the whole street is not blocked off with concrete bollards, I no longer feel safe here as a gay man.”
And the police? A spokeswoman told BILD: “There are no plans for a stronger police presence.