An alleged homophobic attack continues to stir up outrage and anger in Spain. Protesters took to the streets again on Sunday in several cities across the country to demand justice after the murder of a young homosexual, beaten to death the previous weekend.
A crowd gathered in a central square in Madrid, including signs that read “Some people are LGBTQ +. You will have to get used to it! “. At the same time, activists chanting slogans and displaying rainbow flags marched through the streets of Almeria (south) and La Coruna (northwest), where the crime occurred. Similar protests took place over the weekend in other cities, including Barcelona and Seville.
Prime Minister condemns the crime
Samuel Luiz, a 24-year-old Brazilian nurse’s aide, was found unconscious in the early hours of July 3 outside a nightclub in La Coruña, after being beaten up. The emergency services were unable to revive him and he died soon after from his injuries, the news of his death triggering a series of demonstrations and political reactions throughout Spain. His relatives claim that his attackers acted out of homophobia and hit him, calling him a “queer”.
Police have arrested six people, including two minors, since the investigation began. For the moment, those in charge of the investigation do not favor the trail of a homophobic crime and keep “all the hypotheses” open. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for his part condemned the murder, calling it “a savage and merciless act”.