Spain has reacted with horror to the assault of a 20-year-old gay man in Madrid. The man was stabbed in the face with a knife in the porch of his house on Sunday. The attackers also scratched the word ‘maricon’ (‘faggot’) in his buttocks.
Eight figures dressed in black and masked carried out the assault, the man said. Police have launched an investigation in the multicultural Malasaña neighborhood where the attack took place. There the police are looking at images from security cameras of shops. In addition, cell phone numbers of people who were in the vicinity of the attack are being traced.
Demonstrations coming
Demonstrations in cities across Spain are planned for tonight and a nationwide protest in Madrid has been announced for this weekend. According to interest groups, violence against LGBT+ people has increased in recent years, even though not all victims dare to report it.
“The hatred towards gays, lesbians and transsexuals is increasing. Radical right groups are fueling the aversion to homosexuals. They would rather not see us walking through the city during gay pride parades, or that attention is paid to homosexuality during lessons at school.” given,” says Ignacio Paradero of the gay organization FELGTB.
The man’s assault has been condemned by politicians. Prime Minister Sanchez wants an emergency meeting of the committee that monitors ‘hate crimes’ in the country this Friday. Ministers of his left-wing government protested statements by the right-wing populist party Vox, which identified migrants as the main perpetrators of violence against homosexuals.
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