Crowd Stops Police Arresting Gay Men On the Beach For Kissing

Noti Tulum/Facebook

February 27, 2021, 8:56 am

Two men in Tulum, a resort town in Mexico, were briefly placed under arrest on the beach after being observed kissing. Out reports that the arrests were justified as a response to “immoral acts and sexual erotic demonstrations, on the road or public places.”

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The officers alleged that there were three individuals engaged in public oral sex, but people at the scene say the two men were observed kissing by an officer who left the scene and returned with two ATVs full of officers, some of whom can be seen carrying machine guns. As people realized what was happening, they gathered around the arresting officer’s car and demanded their release.

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Local politician Martiza Escalante Morales was at the scene, and said of the altercation, “The policemen were VIOLENT, and gave arguments such as ‘there are families and children and they cannot be watching this.'”

DENUNCIA LA CIUDADANA MARITZA ESCALANTE MORALES, EN PORTAL “MUJERES TULUM”, A POLICÍAS HOMOFÓBICOS, ‘LEVANTAN’ A PAREJA DE GAYS POR DARSE UN BESO

DENUNCIA LA CIUDADANA MARITZA ESCALANTE MORALES, EN PORTAL “MUJERES TULUM”, A POLICÍAS HOMOFÓBICOS, ‘LEVANTAN’ A PAREJA DE GAYS POR DARSE UN BESO Quiero levantar una QUEJA PÚBLICA, porque NO ES POSIBLE el trato y el tipo de autoridades que tenemos en nuestro municipio. Ayer mientras estaba en la playa con mi familia, nos percatamos alrededor de las 4:30 que 2 elementos policiacos en sus cuatrimotos se acercaron a un grupo de jóvenes extranjeros, al pasar unos 20 minutos aproximadamente, notamos que una patrulla llegó y procedió a arrestarlos con esposas. Al observar lo sucedido, procedí a acercarme y para mi sorpresa, y la de muchos que igual se habían acercado, el “motivo” de su arresto fue porque eran GAYS y se habían BESADO. Los policías se portaron VIOLENTOS, y daban argumentos como “hay familias y niños y no pueden estar viendo esto”. Los subieron a la fuerza a la patrulla y no los dejaban ir, todos los que estábamos reunidos estábamos molestos alver la situación, por más que les decíamos que no estaban cometiendo ningún delito, no los soltaban. Al poco de unos minutos de dialogar con los policías, los dejaron libres. NO ESTABAN COMETIENDO NINGÚN DELITO, nosotros estábamos a su lado, en ningún momento hicieron algo malo, simplemente por BESARSE como cualquier otra pareja, los querían llevar. Estoy FURIOSA porque no es posible que en pleno siglo XXI sigan pasando este tipo de opresiones contra la comunidad LGBT+. Todos merecemos el mismo trato, y se deben aplicar las sanciones correspondientes a estos elementos.

Posted by Noti Tulum on Monday, February 22, 2021

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Footage posted on facebook went viral, and shows the two men holding hands, wearing only bathing suits, and handcuffed to the vehicle:

Noti Tulum/Facebook

As the crowd realizes why the men are being arrested, they begin booing the police, and one voice yells, “I’m gay, too!”

The release was not recorded, but Escalante said police had to de-arrest them when the crowd refused to disperse.

“They were not committing any crime, we were by their side, at no time did they do anything wrong, simply by kissing like any other couple,” she said. “I am FURIOUS because it is not possible that in the 21st century this type of oppression against the LGBT+ community continues.”

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There are plans for an organized protest at the scene against LGBTQ discrimination, which is being called a “kiss-in,” set for Sunday.

“We all deserve the same treatment, and the corresponding sanctions must be applied to these elements,” Escalante said.

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*First Published: February 27, 2021, 8:56 am