Man dressed as a furry assaulted on streets of Adelaide
A man dressed in a furry costume was assaulted for no reason.(ultraviolet.the.fur/Instagram)
A man dressed in a furry costume was assaulted for no reason.(ultraviolet.the.fur/Instagram)
A man who was dressed as a furry has been assaulted and called a “paedophile” on streets of Adelaide, Australia.
Dennis Gunn was standing in the Rundle Mall in Adelaide on Saturday (3 May) at around 4pm local time when the assault, which was captured on camera, took place.
The 21-year-old was dressed as a furry – an anthropomorphic animal character – and holding a sign that read “Vote 1 Furry Party” to promote his interests amid the Australian federal election.
He was then approached by three men, with one launching a flaying kick at his head, while the other two started to punch him.
According to furry group Ultraviolet, Gunn was also called a “paedophile” during the attack.
‘That’s disgusting’
After the attack, Gunn told 7News that he was present only with the aim of “spreading positivity”.
“We were just there, street performing, dressed up in costume, interacting with the public and just taking photos with people. We were just there spreading positivity.”
He continued: “Thirty seconds before the assault, I was with a young family, taking photos, and the next thing I know someone is ripping the hair off my suit and trying to take the sign that I was holding and I’m getting punched. I’ve had a few things yelled at me, but nothing like this before.”
Ultraviolet wrote on Instagram: “If you get that mad at somebody you’ve never seen before for no reason to the point where you’d physically assault them, that’s disgusting and you genuinely need to be put into a ward.
“Dennis is alright just shaken up, pls send him some luv. We gonna get them got. Police already searching.”
South Australia Police have confirmed that the incident is currently being investigated and that Gunn was assessed by paramedics, but didn’t require medical treatment. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the South Australia Police.
As with practically anything that deviates from the straight, white, cisgender norm, conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ figures have used furries as part of their ongoing culture war.
Anti-trans activist Graham Linehan has linked furries to paedophilia, while in the US in 2022 a Republican lawmaker was forced to apologise after claiming schools were putting litter boxes in bathrooms for students who were furries.
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