Kim from Stratum is outraged. She says police have advised her not to fly a rainbow flag in the interest of her own safety after a brick smashed her window.
Last Sunday, Kim was startled by a stone through her window. It was the third incident in a row. Her rainbow flag was pulled from the wall twice. The first flag lasted ten hours, the second was taken away by a passerby after twenty hours. It is impossible to say whether the removal of the rainbow flag is related to the destroyed window. Still, she was perplexed when she allegedly recieved well-intentioned advice from the police.
Surprised
Officers who arrived on the scene after the stone was thrown through the window allegedly said that she should no longer fly a rainbow flag for safety reasons. That surprised Kim. “The advice may well have been prompted by concerns for my safety, but you shouldn’t blame the victim. This is victim-blaming.”
Due to the privacy of the resident, the police do not want to say anything about the incident and the report. After the incident, Kim sent a letter to the mayor of Eindhoven. In it she calls for more decisive action by politicians. “This is a blow to the freedom and acceptance we stand for as a city and community I urge you to more actively formulate and implement policies against anti-LGBT sentiments and actions in our city.”
Violence
Recently, the municipality of Eindhoven took a stand against violence against the LGBTI community on several occasions. In April, the city was rocked by an incident that even received national attention. On a Saturday night, a group of passers-by pulled the rainbow flag off the COC (an organisation that raises awareness about homosexuality) building and intimidated the people inside. A few days later, the new flag was hoisted at the COC building with great interest. The graffiti on a street painting for the LGBTI community was removed by the municipality as quickly as possible.
Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem has not yet sent a response to Kim. Her full name is known to the editors.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Yawar Abbas
