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Gay activist attacked under GR overpass
David Battjes on his way home from equality mtng
Updated: Friday, 29 Jul 2011, 5:53 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 29 Jul 2011, 5:23 PM EDT
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Grand Rapids police are trying to figure out who attacked a man on Wednesday night for wearing a gay pride t-shirt.
"They threw me up against the wall and called me a faggot," said David Battjes. "(They) told me, you don't deserve to live and that I didn't belong on the face of the earth."
The man was attacked under an overpass near Cherry and Grandville.
Battjes said he thought the attack was ironic because he was coming from an equality meeting focused on tolerance when he was attacked.
"Because this happened, I need to speak up against this," said Battjes. "They've not knocked me down. They've probably fired me up."
Police told 24 Hour News 8 that crimes like this are rarely reported in Grand Rapids.
Comment to 24 Hour News 8
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