A mob of over 150 people targeted two transgender individuals in downtown Thessaloniki on Saturday night.
The attack, which unfolded around 10:30pm in Aristotelous Square, involved verbal abuse, physical assault, and objects being thrown at the victims.
The two transgender individuals, both 21 years old, were reportedly walking through the square when they were initially accosted by the large group. The situation quickly escalated to verbal harassment, followed by the throwing of bottles and other objects. Seeking refuge, the victims entered a nearby restaurant were the harassment continued, with the mob banging on the restaurant windows and demanding the staff force the victims back outside.
The shocking incident has sparked outrage, with Thessaloniki’s mayor Stelios Angeloudis publicly condemning the attack. Residents have also criticised the police response for not intervening sooner, given the close proximity of a police station in Aristotelous Square.
Police have now arrested 21 people in relation to the attack, announcing:
“The immediate mobilisation and coordinated actions of police officers of the General Police Directorate of Thessaloniki, regarding an ongoing incident that took place in Aristotelous Square yesterday evening (03-09-2024), led to the arrest of 21 people.
It’s about 12 foreigners and 9 nationals, against whom a case file was filed by the Anti-Racist Violence Department of the Thessaloniki Security Directorate for the occasional offenses of simple bodily harm committed and attempted, insult and threat, in combination with the aggravated case of article 82A of the Criminal Code ‘Crime with racist characteristics’.”
