Attendees and students who took part in the Accept – LGBTI Cyprus event at the TEPAK Student Development Center were attacked on Wednesday night.
According to Accept – LGBTI Cyprus, the masked men invaded the hall during the speech , they took the fire extinguisher and started spraying the people and the speakers.
As reported by the Police, at some stage while the event was being held, 7-8 hooded men entered the venue and tension and minor incidents were created.
They reportedly punched a bystander who pushed them away. Subsequently, the unknown hooded men fled.
Members of the Police are on the scene and the event continues as normal.
This announcement:
Our organization denounces a vicious homophobic attack by masked men in a speech he had at the CUT Student Development Center.
The masked thugs broke into the hall during the speech, took the fire extinguisher and started spraying the people and the speakers. At the same time, they shouted various homophobic hate slogans, while on their way out they broke and destroyed everything in their path.
The attack caused panic among those present, both for its violence and the number of masked men!
Our organization expresses its disgust for the incident and calls on the Cyprus Police and the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights-Cyprus Ombudsman to put an end to what we have been experiencing lately.
Society's tacit acceptance and indifference to homophobic hate speech observed by public and non-public figures has disheartened every brainless person, who now feels they can do whatever they want without repercussions.
Characteristically, we should mention that presidential candidates based their campaign against us, political figures mock us incessantly on their Facebook profile, while public homophobic hate comments in every LGBTQ news are now indiscriminate. And all this happens without repercussions even though laws exist!
Accept and its allies want to give the following message as clearly as possible to to all those who try to scare us: We are not afraid of you and we will not be silent! Such brazen acts of hatred simply prove that homophobia reigns well on our island and that we must do more, with more courage and stubbornness!
Finally, let us note that we have other videos in our possession, while witnesses to the incident may be able to help identify the masked men.
