Peaceful Demonstration Against Homophobia and Transphobia in Greece
A large crowd, possibly over a thousand protesters, took to the streets of Thessaloniki, Greece, on Sunday night, responding to a terrifying attack on a transgender couple in the capital city of Greek Macedonia the day before. The incident sent reverberations through the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and the city, where the violence unsettled filmmakers and guests.
Waving rainbow flags, brandishing banners denouncing homophobia and transphobia, and echoing protest slogans, the predominantly peaceful demonstration wound its way through the streets of the seaside city. The gathering began in Aristotelous Square, the location of the harrowing episode on Saturday night. A mob of nearly 200 black-clad youths had verbally abused, spat at, and hurled bottles at a young transgender couple, who sought refuge in a nearby restaurant until the police arrived. At least 21 suspects have been arrested thus far.
The Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival issued a statement via the Festival’s Instagram account, which said, “The news of the attack against two trans people, which took place on Saturday night at Aristotelous Square, filled us with anger and repugnance.
The Festival unreservedly and explicitly condemns any act of homophobic and racist violence, sending out a loud and clear message of tolerance, inclusivity, acceptance and visibility through the full scope of its actions: the 26th TiDF’s large-scale tribute “Citizen Queer” featuring LGBTQI+ documentaries, talks and presentations from acclaimed speakers, its lineup of films, the Mermaid Award, as well as its support towards the upcoming @europride2024
As we have repeatedly stated, the Festival discards any acts of hatred and violence and the extremist voices of intolerance and racism, serving as an open platform of art, inclusivity, and dialogue.”
