Gay Man Pepper-Sprayed for Holding Hands With Another Man in Barcelona

A gay man was attacked with pepper spray in Barcelona for holding hands with a male friend.

An unknown woman approached Edgar Aragall Sunday around 8 p.m., after he linked arms with another man in the Spanish city's subway, according to an account Aragall gave to BTV, a local news outlet.

The woman asked if Aragall was gay. Enraged, she began hurling antigay slurs at him. When another subway rider tried to intervene on the men's behalf, the woman and her partner escalated the conflict and turned their ire toward her.

Aragall searched for security personnel but was unable to find assistance. Then, the woman shot pepper spray at him. His face, eyes, and abdomen were injured in the attack, and he had to seek medical assistance at a hospital.

"Unfortunately, this is our daily life," Aragall told BTV, according to an English translation of the interview. He said that while he had experienced antigay sentiment before, it had never before escalated to the level of the woman's assault.

"It's the first time and yes, you stay in shock. I have not cried yet for the situation because I am still shocked by what has happened," he added.

The woman and her partner disappeared after the attack, which is currently being investigated by the Mossos d'Esquadra, the police force of the autonomous community of Catalonia.

Watch the news report below.