Greek human rights groups have condemned a rise in attacks on gay people after two young men were savagely beaten in Athens. The anti-racist alliance Keerfa blamed the far-right party Golden Dawn for increasing homophobic violence after two men were set upon by a dozen shaven-headed men in black T-shirts over the weekend. The couple, aged 25 and 30, were sitting on a bench in the capital's Pangrati district when two men on a motorcycle threw detergent at them, activists said. Minutes later, they were set upon by a group of men in black T-shirts. One victim was badly beaten and had his leg broken; his partner was less seriously injured, police said. Supporters of Golden Dawn often stage vigilante patrols dressed in black T-shirts and have been regularly accused of street violence. The attack is the fifth in Athens in three months.
