New hate crime at Europride

Two men were subjected to homophobic insults and assaulted in central Stockholm in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police have classified the assault as a hate crime.

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The two men were enjoying a night out in downtown Stockholm and were sitting outside Seven-Eleven on Klarabergsgatan at 4.20am on Wednesday morning when they were attacked.

"Three men approached them saying humiliating things and then started to assault them without provocation. They mentioned the Pride festival and that the men were gay," said Bo Olsson at Stockholm police to Sveriges Nyheter.

The three suspects were caught and arrested at around 5am. The men are reported to be between 17 and 20-years-old.

The assaulted men received minor injuries and did not require hospital treatment, Dagens Nyheter reported.

Police have prioritized the case which is the second such hate crime in connection with the ongoing Europride festival in Stockholm.

The Local reported on Monday that two men were stabbed and robbed of their mobile telephones in an attack in Tantolunden in the Södermalm area of the city.