Just weeks after a landmark law granted same-sex couples in Greece the right to marry, nearly 200 people dressed in black chased a transgender couple through the town square in Thessaloniki, the country's "second city" and host of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, per LGBTQ Nation.
After one member of the couple was punched in the face, the pair took refuge in a restaurant before the arrival of police, who escorted them from the scene. The following nightas thousands gathered in protest of the attackgay opposition leader Stefanos Kasselakis was threatened and verbally attacked by another masked mob on his way to a screening at the festival. In a statement, the documentary festival reacted to the attacks with "anger and repugnance."
More than 20 people were arrested over two nightsmany of them younger people.
Now Greece's Supreme Court has ordered the Thessaloniki First Instance Prosecutor's Office to investigate the attacks and an injury to a police officer, Balkan Insight reported. Also, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis condemned the violence, stating that "batmen and hoodmen have no place in the Republic."
Thessaloniki Pride released a joint post with other Greek LGBTQ+ organizations stating that anti-LGBTQ+ behaviors have increased following hate speech in governments, churches and other forums, according to Jurist.
Andrew Davis