Fearless gay couple stand up to neo-Nazis… with a kiss

The two men showed their disdain for a far-right protest in Madrid on Saturday by kissing in front of the angry crowd, who were cheering for Spanish dictator Francisco Franco and chanting “Spain yes, refugees no!”

Tensions were fraught between the neo-Nazi protestors from far-right group Hogar Social Madrid and local people as the protest got underway on Plaza del Dos de Mayo in Malasaña, one of Madrid hippest and most bohemian neighbourhoods.

David Fernández and Gregor Eistert were just out for a Saturday stroll when they stumbled upon the demo.

“We completely forgot the demonstration was taking place and just like any other Saturday we were looking for a terrace in the centre of Madrid when we stumbled across a huge political rally,” Fernández told El Español.

The angry crowd started shouting homophobic abuse at the couple, such as “maricón!” (a derogatory Spanish word for a gay man similar to faggot) “You've got AIDS!” and “sickos” as they walked hand in hand.

So they reacted in the best way they could think of, a way that was bound to rile the crowd even more: they began kissing.

“It was completely spontaneous, it came from anger,” David Fernández told Spanish newspaper El Español, adding that it was their way of showing their “repulsion” at the demo.

A video taken at the protest shows the couple kissing until they are told “that´s enough” by a policeman and removed from the square.

Fernández admitted to El Español it was easier to move them than a thousand neo-Nazis but said he could not comprehend the policeman’s actions at the time.

“I couldn’t understand why they were kicking us out of the square when the ones committing a hate crime were them,” he said.

Police had previously told locals to stay indoors and had warned local businesses to stay closed ahead of the demonstration. 

The kiss was met with widespread support on social media.

La mejor foto de la mani de Hogar Social. Dos hombres que se aman frente a nazis llenos de odio #madridparatodas pic.twitter.com/JP1ZaDfleT

— Madrid Divers♀ (@MadridDiversa) May 21, 2016

“The best photo from the Hogar Social demo. Two men who love each other in front of nazis full of hate.”