A taxpayer-funded swimming pool event intended exclusively for Black children in Germany was canceled late Thursday after sparking significant public outrage and threats. The event, organized by the anti-discrimination charity Each One Teach One at the newly opened Volksbad pool in Berlin, was scheduled to take place Friday.
The Volksbad, which translates to "people's bath," was set to offer access to the pool "exclusively to black communities" before it opened to the general public at 6:00 p.m. The pool, described as "open to the public free of charge" and for "anyone looking to cool off in the heart of the city," is funded by taxpayers and cost approximately 300,000 euros. It is scheduled to remain open until October 1.
Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned the event. Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, criticized the event as "apartheid" and called for the immediate cessation of taxpayer funds for such initiatives. Stefan Evers, a Christian Democratic Union politician, expressed his view that the "people's swimming pool" should be for everyone, stating, "Personally I don’t believe in categorizing by skin color."
Alexander Krauss, chief of the Berlin Taxpayers Federation, also denounced the appropriation of public funds for the event, which was held at a theater heavily subsidized by public money.
Organizers cited the intense and often polemical media coverage, as well as racist threats and threats of violence received via email and social media, as reasons for the cancellation. They stated that the climate had deteriorated to a point where they could no longer guarantee the safety and a positive experience for the children and young people attending. The organizers also claimed the event was a "positive measure to promote structurally disadvantaged groups."
Following the cancellation, the pool was announced to remain closed to all swimmers on Friday.