Greek gay couple say they were assaulted by police in Athens for holding hands

Gay couple George Kounanis and Harry Vassilakis say they were harassed by a group of about ten police officers who shoved one of them up against a wall last Friday

A gay couple who say they were harassed and assaulted by police in Athens last Friday say they are now fearful of reporting the incident.

George Kounanis and Harry Vassilakis say they were taunted by a group of around ten police officers while walking in the city’s historical quarter because they were holding hands.

The couple told Lifo.gr that when they spoke back to the police one of them shoved Kounanis up against a wall and told him ‘this is what real violence is.’

The couple called a help line to ask what they should do about the incident and were told they would have to report the incident to police or nothing could be done.

‘We feel as if we’re in a psychological maze,’ Vassilakis said, according to NewNowNext.

‘We feel totally helpless, We feel harassed by those who are supposed to protect us.’

Greece was among the countries that was hardest hit during the Eurozone financial crisis and the country has seen an upsurge in intolerance towards minority groups in recent years with nearly one-in-ten Greeks voting for the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn party at the last European election.

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/greek-gay-couple-say-they-were-assaulted-police-athens-holding-hands310714