Gay Activist, Drag Queen Zak Kostopoulos Lynched in Greece

On Saturday, a gay activist in Athens, Greece was lynched by a mob. Zak Kostopoulos was an American-born LGBTQ activist and drag queen living in the capital of Greece. About 500 people took part in a rally the following night, memorializing Kostopoulos and demanding justice.

According to PinkNews, video footage was released, showing Kostopoulos trapped in a jewelry shop on Gladstonos Street. He attempted to break out of the shop's front door with a fire extinguisher as a crowd gathered outside, including the shop's owner. When he failed to break through the door, Kostopoulos crawled through a window, which required him to get on his hands and knees on broken glass.

As he gets outside, the shop owner and another man can be seen kicking Kostopoulos repeatedly, with a final kick to the head that knocked him unconscious. Passersby attempted to intervene, and although police were in the vicinity, they failed to stop the attack.

The mob can still be seen kicking him while he lies unconscious. The footage ends with police and emergency responders putting Kostopoulos sideways on a stretcher, as his hands appear to be cuffed behind his back. He died before reaching the hospital.

Local news affiliates referred to Kostopoulos as a drug addict, claiming he had a knife and was attempting to rob the shop. But friends have stated those are false claims. Fellow activist Gregory Vallianatos stated on Facebook that Kostopoulos entered the shop, seeking safety from a threat at a shop on the other side of the street.

The shop owner and the other man who was filmed kicking Kostopoulos have been arrested. The lawyer of Kostopoulos' family is seeking homicide charges.