Woman arrested for ‘throwing bicycle’ at protest against anti-LGBT+ violence, screaming that protesters are ‘cancerhomos’

Amsterdam lgbt protest

A woman has been arrested for allegedly “throwing a bicycle” at a protest against anti-LGBT+ violence in Amsterdam, and screaming that demonstrators are “cancerhomos”.

According to NL Times, the protest on Thursday (26 August) was in solidarity with the residents of a student apartment building which was set on fire in a suspected anti-LGBT+ attack.

Police suspect that the fire, which injured four, broke out because of arson that was targeting LGBT+ Pride flags displayed in the building.

Around a thousand people attended the protest, but one 40-year-old woman decided to hurl abuse at the demonstrators.

Local media reported that several protestors called the police after the woman threatened them, and some reported online that she had called them “kankerhomos”, which translates as “cancerhomos” or “cancer gays”, and spat at them.

One attendee also told Amsterdam TV station AT5 that a physical altercation broke out after the woman threw her bicycle at march participants.

Police confirmed that a woman was arrested that evening, and that an investigation was ongoing.

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema will ‘never accept the terrible intolerance’ against LGBT+ folk

At Thursday’s protest, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema gave a speech outside the apartment block that was targeted in the suspected anti-LGBT+ attack.

She said: “There is no excuse whatsoever for the horrific arson here last week. I want to thank you all for coming here.

“Out of solidarity for everyone for whom the rainbow flag symbolises and to show that we won’t tolerate it.”

Halsema said that everyone must continue to fight for equality, “in the classrooms, the living rooms, at social organisations and companies, on our city squares, and everywhere where ‘gay’ is still used as an abusive word”.

She added: “We cannot and must not accept that LGBT+ people are intimidated and that violence is used against them. And we cannot and must never accept the terrible intolerance that underscores this.”