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From GayNZ.com New Zealand Daily News
6.30PM: Details are emerging of homophobic assaults on Auckland's K' Road on Thursday night, in which gang-members attacked a Family bar bouncer and two drag entertainers.
A Family regular who witnessed the incidents on Thursday says he noticed a Pacific Island man "who was openly wearing his gang patch" playing pool in the gay K' Road bar at around Midnight.
"He had a disagreement with a Family staff member about displaying the gang patch and was asked to leave," says the witness, who does not want to be named. "He was in a bit of a heated mood, and told the bouncer 'I'll come back and see you about this'.
"During the disagreement, he starts throwing a couple of random punches at the bouncer. The bouncer didn't look like he was coping very well, so one of the punters tried to fend him off. Then more punches were thrown at this punter and his crew."
The attacker was definitely under the influence of some kind of substance, says the witness.
"Several young men were standing around with the attacker. One of them came back about half an hour later to buy some cigarettes, but while waiting for them, he smacked over a drag queen who was just standing there. The bouncer then told him to 'get out of here'."
All this was happening outside the nightclub on the street, and it didn't take long before the venue's hostess Miss Ribena was told what had happened. "So she goes out and sees the group of guys who were milling around.
"Miss Ribena approaches them and asks 'were you boys at our club?' and 'which one of you abused our punters?' They all remained quiet.
"It wasn't until Miss Ribena turned, that there was another blind shot. The exact words that came out of his mouth were 'fuckin' faggot'."
The police were called, and officers picked up the alleged attackers at the scene. Auckland Central Police could not give any further information when contacted by GayNZ.com today.
A bloodied Ribena was treated in hospital, but was well enough to attend various events on K' Road across the weekend - but out of drag, and sporting a black eye and bruised face.
"I'm alright," Ribena says today, "I'm just sick of these things happening on our street.
"But it's happening all over the place. When I was at the hospital, there were seven other people in there who'd been attacked at the Viaduct."
Security has been stepped up at Family bar, and Ribena is now planning a major Stop Homophobia campaign, similar to the one seen on Sydney's Oxford Street recently, after their spate of anti-gay attacks.
"This has happened to the right person now - because we're going to do something about it," promises Ribena. © Copyright GayNZ.com |
