NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Members of Make the Road New York and elected leaders held a protest outside of the Pollos Mario restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens on Tuesday, where two gay men eating at the restaurant were beaten unconscious by other patrons.
OUTRAGEOUS! On Sept. 12, two queer community members were assaulted based on their sexual orientation at Pollos Mario as they were eating by eight restaurant clients.
None of the staff, including the manager & security, allegedly intervened to disrupt or de-escalate the attack. pic.twitter.com/PId2xGctND
— Make the Road NY 🦋 (@MaketheRoadNY) September 24, 2019
Alberto Cruz and Juan Dominguez, ages 36 and 39, were inside Pollos Mario restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 12 when a group of guys entered the restaurant, sat behind them and immediately started making homophobic comments, police said Tuesday.
When the two men asked the suspects to show some respect, the group attacked them.
"They punching my head, so I have a super, deep cut, a lot of blood," one victim told 1010 WINS. "I'm scared because I see a lot of blood and I'm really confused to what's going on."
The victims were transported to Elmhurst Hospital, where they were expected to recover. The suspects fled the restaurant in a vehicle, officials said.
No restaurant staff, or security stepped in to break up the fight and the victims were knocked unconscious during the attack, advocates for the victims say.
Advocates are demanding local businesses intervene in any violence against trans and queer customers.
So far, no arrests have been made.Police urge anyone with information to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
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