It’s a show of solidarity and strength.
At 5.50 am on Friday a fire broke out in a block of student apartments and the entire complex had to be evacuated by the fire service. Thankfully the fire was controlled and extinguished quickly but not before four residents had been taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation.
Fires in apartment buildings are, of course, always distressing, and this distress was only compounded by the fact that the fire seems to have been set intentionally. Residents believe the motive to have been homophobic because the apartments were covered in rainbow flags and this is not the first time that flags have been burnt in the area.
So, residents of the West district came up with a fundraising campaign to fill the streets with rainbow flags, and their aim was to raise 3000 euros in order to do this. Now the fundraising campaign has more than achieved its aim. As it stands, it has raised an astounding sum of €8,388 in just 3 days.
This incredible campaign will surely help organisers to fulfill their wish and make a strong statement against homophobic attacks. As stated on the gofundme page, organisers want, ‘to show that you can destroy 1 flag, but then see 10 in its place. And to make it clear to everyone that West is a district where everyone can be themselves and where we stand firm for everyone’s safety’. We can’t wait to see the streets of the West district filled with rainbow flags as a show of solidarity with the LGBTQI+, but it is, of course, regrettable that campaigns like these are necessary.