Gang of masked neo-Nazi thugs violently attack gay bar in bone-chilling video
Camera footage shows several people in dark clothes attacking HvLv, a gay bar in Kiev, Ukraine. (YouTube/Sergiy Slipchenko)
A group of thugs believed to be neo-Nazis were caught on camera violently attacking a gay bar in Kyiv, Ukraine.
HvLv bar was swarmed by an estimated 20 masked men wearing dark clothes who shouted homophobic slurs and destroyed the outside area of the bar last Friday (26 November) evening, according to RT. The crowd overpowered security outside.
Both the attackers and the guards attempted to douse each other with pepper spray. When the guards retreated to safety inside the bar, the men continued the attack outside and destroyed tables and chairs and broke windows.
During the attack, the neo-Nazis chanted “death to the f****ts”, “white power” and “let’s get the f****ts” as staff frantically called the police. The attack lasted about five minutes in total, and police arrived a short time later.
Police later arrested 12 men in relation to the gay bar attack, reported Ukraine publication the Village. The suspects were arrested on suspicion of “hooliganism”.
Фото з місця нападу на подільський бар HVLV (Хвильовий). Вікна та двері у барі розтрощені
Оновлюємо інформацію у новинах на сайті pic.twitter.com/XRMudPeumI
— The Village Україна (@thevillageua) November 26, 2021
The bar’s management wrote on Instagram that it has been “regularly attacked by unknown individuals”. HvLv explained the “first mass attack” took place on 6 November, and the management had reported the attack to police to request intervention.
However, HvLv said the recent attack on the bar and employees came after “three weeks of inaction by law enforcement agencies and continued threats”. The bar demanded “immediate intervention” from the national police of Ukraine and Denis Monastyrsky, the country’s interior minister, to stop the attacks.
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In a later post on Instagram, the bar’s management thanked people for the outpouring of support HvLv received in the wake of the attack. They also encouraged patrons to return to the bar, saying the “best support for us will be your presence in the bar”.
The gay community in Ukraine has faced several horrific attacks in recent months
In July, a joyful Pride rave was ambushed by members of the far-right group Tradition and Order, which was responsible for previous assaults on Pride events in 2020.
The thugs violently attempted to break up the peaceful demonstration by hurling bottles and other weapons at the around 100 LGBT+ activists gathered outside the office of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The activists defiantly withstood the attacks and continued the rave in protest of injustices against the queer community within the country.
Sadly, just a month later, members from Tradition and Order once again faced off against LGBT+ activists and police at a Pride event in Odessa. The thugs threw tear gas and buttressed flags as police attempted to protect those attending Pride.
The far-right demonstrators eventually turned on police, and at least 29 officers suffered injuries as a result of the attack. The powerful event was sadly cut short due to safety concerns.
