The HvLv bar, located in the central part of Ukraine’s capital, was targeted late on Friday. The venue was set upon by around 20 masked men, some of whom were armed with telescopic batons and pepper spray.
Surveillance footage from the scene circulating online shows the assailants skirmishing with two bouncers, with both parties dousing each other with pepper spray. Heavily outnumbered, the security staff retreated into the bar, leaving the outdoor seating area at the mercy of the attackers.
The angry crowd then proceeded to break windows, as well as destroying outdoor chairs and tables. Some of the assailants tried to force their way into the premises, but staff had managed to lock the doors in time, and some of the patrons also reinforced them, footage from inside shows.
The rampage lasted for about five minutes, with the attackers ultimately retreating after they failed to gain access to the bar itself. During the attack, the masked men shouted homophobic and neo-Nazi slogans, the business claimed in an Instagram post, specifically “Death to the f**gots,” “Let’s get the f**gots,” and “White power.”
While no motive for the attack has been officially announced, the bar’s management alleged it had been targeted by neo-Nazis. The venue said it had been harassed by the extreme-right for some three weeks prior to the incident, with purported neo-Nazis repeatedly showing up at the establishment, scribbling offensive graffiti on its walls, and scaring patrons away.
The troubles began earlier this month, following a call for a “crusade” shared on the social media channels of extreme-right groups in Kiev. The proclaimed goal was to battle the drug trade, which is allegedly rampant in multiple nightclubs across the Ukrainian capital, including the HvLv. The bar itself has vehemently denied such allegations.
It was not immediately clear what group exactly was behind the attack, with no one taking responsibility for the rampage. A sticker of an extreme-right group named ‘Centuria’ has been reportedly recovered at the scene, yet it denied any involvement, claiming it was merely merchandise that anyone could have obtained.
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