Thousands of people have protested in cities across Spain demanding justice following the murder of a 24-year-old gay man who was beaten to death in what is believed by police to be a homophobic attack.
In the early hours of Saturday, Samuel Luiz was out with friends in the city of A Coruña when he was attacked after having an argument outside a nightclub. He was proclaimed dead after arriving at the hospital.
Luiz's death has sparked anger across Spain. Soon after, the police in Catalonia were investigating a new attack which might also have been related to homophobia.
The 24-year-old was brutally beaten after an argument with passers-by escalated into a fatal assault. It has been reported that Luiz was making a video call outside the club when two passers accused him that he was trying to film them before one of them attacked him.
His face was badly bruised before the attacker returned with 12 more people who beat Luiz unconscious hours before he died.
The attack has sparked outrage across the country, with demonstrations taking place in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Salamanca, Bilbao, Zaragoza on Monday night.
Signs protesters carried, read:
"No more deaths for hate, intolerance or discrimination."
21-year-old, Diego Rubio, who joined the demonstration in Madrid, carried a poster reading:
"They have robbed us of our adolescence, now they rob us of our lives."
The Madrid demonstration erupted into a clash between police and protesters, urging demands for explanations from politicians.
Pedro Sánchez, Spain's Prime Minister, condemned the murder, tweeting:
"I'm confident that the police investigation will soon find those who murdered Samuel and shed light on what happened. It was a savage and merciless act. We will not take a step backwards when it comes to rights and freedoms and Spain will not tolerate this."
ConfÃo en que la investigación de @policia dé pronto con los autores del asesinato de Samuel y esclarezca los hechos. Fue un acto salvaje y despiadado.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 5, 2021
No daremos ni un paso atrás en derechos y libertades. España no lo va a tolerar. Todo mi apoyo a su familia y seres queridos.
Luiz's father, Max Luiz, said:
"They have put out our only light. I just hope that his death is not in vain."
[h/t: The Independent]
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