A group of young men were having terrace drinks at Prik, a central Amsterdam gay pub, when a car stopped and started shooting at them with a gel blaster.
On Monday at 10:15 PM, the car stopped in front of the gay bar and started shooting at the people having drinks on the terrace – AD reports. The perpetrator was also screaming anti-gay slurs at them while shooting with the toy gun.
One of the guests sitting on the terrace had to be taken to hospital for an eye injury. Mayor Halsema, Amsterdam’s mayor, also admits that there are too many anti-LGBTI+ incidents in the Dutch capital.
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You might think that hate crimes like this would never happen in Amsterdam, where pride flags flood the city streets and buildings, but unfortunately, it does.
The injured guest, from Israel, will be treated for his eye back in his home country. Unfortunately, it’s not yet sure whether or not his vision will cure.
Amsterdam’s mayor called the incident a “cultural problem,” and she is shocked that this gun can be sold as a toy.
Nothing new at Prik
The pub’s co-owner, Van Eck, said to AD that the customers are used to the aggression. “When we are on the terrace all day, we notice that people often shout at our guests. We were quite shocked at first, but many of our regular guests said they got used to it.”
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Amsterdam is considered one of the world’s most prominent “gay capital”, with plenty of programs for the LGBTI+ community.
Every year, thousands of visitors come every year to the city to experience the accepting and colourful city. It is very sad that crimes like these can still happen here.
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