Dutch protests against attack on gay couple holding hands
- Published
Protesters held hands in a show of solidarity
Protests have been held across the Netherlands in support for a gay couple who were attacked last week, allegedly for holding hands.
Rallies took place in Arnhem, the city where the incident took place, as well as Eindhoven and The Hague.
About 2,500 protesters showed up in Arnhem - many waving rainbow flags.
One of the men, Jasper Vernes-Sewratan, thanked the protesters and said "You have pulled us through this terrible week", AFP news agency reports.
His partner Ronnie Sewratan-Vernes, who lost teeth in the attack when he was assaulted with a bolt cutter, was in tears during the rally, AFP added.
Ronnie Sewratan-Vernes (L) and Jasper Vernes-Sewratan (R) thanked the demonstrators for their support
After their story emerged, Dutch men began uploading pictures of themselves holding hands on to social media to stand against homophobia.
The images were shared via the hashtags #handinhand and #allemannenhandinhand (all men hand in hand).
Five teenagers handed themselves in to police after the attack, and appeared in court on Thursday, reports say.
Two medical staff hold hands at an Utrecht hospital: "Because love (and care) is for everyone"
- Published5 April 2017
