'Gay' student hunted by angry, destructive mob

by Greg White
Staff Writer

After a Senegalese university student was accused of making sexual advances toward another male classmate, he was hunted down by an angry mob, which threatened his life and damaged buildings on campus.

 According to a Towleroad report, a security guard at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar who witnessed the attack said:

“We saw a hoard of young people gathering on a part of campus where there’s a bank and a restaurant. They were screaming ‘We are going to kill him!’ The young man who was being chased hid inside the offices of the head of campus security. The mob wanted him to come out and there was a heated exchange between them and the security personnel.

“The bank decided to evacuate its staff until the police arrived. The police fired tear gas to disperse the students so the young man could come out. The angry students went on to burn down the buildings belonging to the campus security guards. They also destroyed the ATM outside the bank as well as the bank’s signs. They openly criticized security guards for ‘helping a homosexual’ man flee.”

The Observers reports that On Thursday, the body in charge of coordinating university student social services in Dakar published a statement about the events.

"Armed with iron bars and clubs, [the students] ransacked furniture and material and knocked over plates filled with food at Sinkou restaurant. They also stole mobile phones and molested restaurant staff. Eight students were transported to a medical centre, two of whom were seriously injured. We are still wondering what link there is between the question of 'homosexuality' and destroying property.”

This is the ninth such incident to occur on the university campus in the last four years. Homosexuality is still illegal in Senegal, and even hitting on someone of the same sex can get one landed in prison.

Towleroad and The Observers contributed to this story.

The Gayly- 3/22/2016 @ 12:32 PM CST