Greek Cops Allegedly Attack Gay Couple for Holding Hands

A same-sex couple in Athens claims they were harassed and assaulted by at least 10 Greek police last Friday because they were holding hands, according to the Greek website Lifo.gr (via Gay Star News).

George Kounanis and Harry Vassilakis told the website they were assaulted by a group of 10 cops while they were they were walking around Athens' historical district while holding hands. The couple told the website that the incident escalated when they spoke back to officers.

They said one of the police shoved Kounanis up against the wall and told him "This is what real violence is."

The men called a help line to ask what they should do and they were told they have to report the incident to police or nothing would 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."

NewNow Next also reports that Athens has a thriving gay scene and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned in Greece. The government, however, continues to ignore a European Court of Human Rights ruling against the country's current ban on civil unions for same-sex couples.

According to Gay Star News, Greece was one of the countries that was hit the hardest during the Eurozone financial crisis and Greece has seen an increase in tolerance towards minority groups.