LGTBI rights movement protests against the increase in hate attacks

BarcelonaAbout 200 people have protested this Saturday in the centre of Barcelona to condemn the three homophobic attacks reported last weekend in Barcelona. Convened by the Observatory against Homophobia and the LGTBIcat Platform, demonstrators demanded the 2014 law on LGTBI rights be applied, to prevent attacks from going unpunished. In his speech, the president of the Observatory, Eugeni Rodríguez, stated that in the face of acts of violence against the group, an "exceptional" response is needed, and he expressed his confidence that from now on a "new paradigm" in the fight against LGTBIphobia will begin in Catalonia.

Rodriguez also recalled that public administrations have the obligation to "manage it in the best way" to pursue the aggressors and stop these behaviours against the collective, because, he insisted, "public policies have to go beyond a tweet". Listening to his words were the Catalan Minister of the Home Affairs, Joan Ignasi Elena; the Catalan Minister of Social Rights, Violant Cervera; and Barcelona's Councillor for Citizens' Rights, Marc Serra, who wanted to show their support and commitment to the movement.

The rally has been used to place on a giant map of Catalonia the 77 LGTBI-phobic attacks this year. The six victims from the last week ago have already reported the crimes to the police. The most serious offence occurred on the beach of Somorrostro where a man was injured and three more suffered bruises in an attack committed by five men, aged between 28 and 35 years, approximately. Police hope that witnesses recorded the attack facilitating identification of the attackers, who fled the scene.

The other two attacks were perpetrated in Lesseps, where the victim came across a group of men who mocked him and kicked his hand, and in the area of the Auditorium, when a young man who was talking to a friend was insulted by another man, also young, who then physically assaulting him.

In addition to the police investigation, the Ombudsman has opened an ex officio action, the eleventh for homophobic attacks since 2020, and has highlighted the increase in cases of violence and incidents motivated by LGTBIphobia. For this reason, he called on citizens to get involved in defending the rights of this group.