Popular Gay rights activist and Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Joel Earl Simpson, was rushed to the hospital in the wee hours of Sunday after he was reportedly attacked and beaten by six men at Bourda Market.
Joel Simpson
According to reports, Simpson visited the market after a night out at a popular night club located on Main Street, Georgetown to purchase snacks.
However, while there, he was swarmed by the six men, whom he had an earlier encounter with at the night club.
While ignoring the men and continuing to make his order, Simpson was reportedly pushed to the ground and badly beaten.
A City Constable attempted to intervene but also became a victim after the men attacked him as well.
Nevertheless, Simpson was saved when vendors of the market went to his assistance and rushed him to safety inside one of the stalls. The activist was later rushed to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries to about his body.
In a Facebook post, Simpson detailed what transpired. He explained that the men began the homophobic attack at the night club where he was with a group of friends following a day of activities.
He explained that while partying, at around midnight, a group of men entered the night club and positioned themselves behind him and his friends.
Simpson recounted that sometime after, he felt a watery substance later identified as beer being thrown at him and his friends.
“I thought it must have been a drunken spill so I ignored it, but we then felt a second douse of beer on us. At this point, we realised this was very deliberate” he related.
As such, a complaint was made to a Supervisor of the popular night spot but Simpson said he was left stunned when the man (supervisor) stated “we don’t want man wining pun man here”.
Following this, the activist recounted that his angered friends began verbally abusing the group of men, but he intervened and stopped them.
Simpson added that he and his friends proceeded to leave the business establishment and it was at this time, while enroute to Bourda Market, he made a Facebook post highlighting the ordeal he faced.
However, the activist posited that shortly after arriving at Bourda, he was surprised when the group of men from the club turned up and proceeded to attack him. At the time, he was alone.
The activist is calling for justice and also calling for a public apology from the night club which he named in his Facebook post.
Meanwhile a report was lodged at the Alberttown Police Station. When contacted ‘A’ Division (Georgetown) Commander Marlon Chapman told the Guyana Times that no arrests were made.
However, this newspaper understands that one of the attackers has been identified as Maverick De Abreu. He is said to be the leader of the group which attacked Simpson.
De Abreu is currently on trial over the April 2017 beating of popular Trinidadian Soca artiste, Rodney “Benjai” La Blanc, outside the said night. He was also charged for discharging a loaded firearm at his pregnant girl-friend and her sister in May of that year.
Additionally, another one of the men who attacked Simpson was identified as “Jahmol” (only name given),
