A protest outside a Drag Story Hour in New York City on Sunday didn't end well for a couple of bigoted demonstrators. One such protestor, a 53-year-old gentleman sporting a gold Guy Fawkes mask, "approached a victim and struck him in the face," according to police (via NBC News), leaving the victim with "physical injury to his face" and a swollen nose. The costumed man, Robert Porco, was "arrested and charged with assault."
Another gentleman, whose pal was wearing a Proud Boys sweatshirt, ended up with a bloody face. "I came here to help, not get the shit beat out of me," he cried.
From NBC News:
At least some of the protesters appeared to be affiliated with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group.
The protest took place outside the LGBTQ Community Center in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood, where New York Attorney General Letitia James was hosting a Drag Story Hour event, with drag performers reading children's books to kids and their families. Drag has deep historical ties to the LGBTQ community, and the center is just a short walk away from the iconic Stonewall Inn, arguably the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. …
A video posted on Twitter by a journalist affiliated with the local media site FreedomNews.tv shows a protester wearing a gold Anonymous mask being apprehended by police. …
In a separate video shared by the same Twitter account, a different protester walks away from the event with his face bloodied. …
Counterprotesters could be heard in the background shouting: "Go back to Long Island" and "F— the Proud Boys."
