A group of LGBTQ+ protestors who attended a Ron DeSantis presidential event on Monday say they were physically abused by staff and attendees after they held up a rainbow flag during the candidate’s speech.
More than 800 people reportedly attended the event held at the Philip T. Glennon Community Center in Tega Cay, South Carolina, according to The Charlotte Observer.
Two of the three activists who reported being abused at the event were Claire Jost and Will Sander, both 19 years old and from the Charlotte area, and spoke to Newsweek about what they experienced.
The third member, Sander’s 16-year-old sister, did not want to be interviewed by the news outlet. Jost, who identifies as queer, and Sander said they attended because they wanted to stand up for what they believe in.