Hand in hand
Police took four teenaged boys into custody late Sunday in connection with the assault of two gay men in Arnhem. The victims were holding hands walking home from a party early Sunday morning when they were confronted by a group of young men shouting slurs at them.
They were then struck by a man wielding a heavy set of bolt cutters, kocking out four of Ronnie Sewratan-Vernes’ teeth and severing his lip, and injuring the ribs of Jasper Vernes-Sewratan. The two say they usually conceal their relationship in public, but were holding hands after a fun night out.
The journalist Barbara Barend sent a tweet calling on men in the Netherlands to hold hands in public, to show support.
D66 leader Alexander Pechtold and party member Wouter Koolmees arrived hand in hand at the negotiations on the formation of a new Dutch government on Monday.
Less hate, more solidarity.
H/t Stewart
I do hope the teenage assailants were old enough to face serious consequenses and that they (or their “guardians”) will have to pay reparations, perhaps on top of a steep fine. That’ll learn them. :(
I think it’s a message in need of sending: Don’t do that. In NL or Bangla or Ohio. While we’re at it, chuck the ConDon in jail too.
No mention of the names or backgrounds of the perps. Forgive me, but I’m already assuming the hand of the Religion of Peace might be involved.
Bruce Bawer, the American gay activist, lived in the Netherlands for years, but relocated to Denmark as anti-gay violence became a daily occurence. He has reported that the situation in Denmark has worsened since then as well.