In response to a brutal attack on a gay couple on the streets of Arnhem in the Netherlands, gay and straight men alike have come together in solidarity by holding hands to show their support.

Hand in hand

From politicians to police officers, men have been sharing images of themselves on social media holding hands under the hashtag #allemannenhandinhand.

LGBT+ priority

Tanja Ineke of LGBT+ organisation Cultuur en Ontspanning Centrum (COC) had written to the Dutch Minister Edith Schippers to ask if the new government could make combatting violence against the LGBT+ community a priority through implementing stronger penalties for offenders and better education in schools.

The movement was spurred on by journalist Barbara Berend who suggested that men stand up for victims of homophobic violence.

Politicians including D66 party leader Alexander Pechtold and Wouter Koolmees can be seen holding hands in the video below.