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An Australia furry content creator has shared footage of the moment he was beaten by strangers while filming a video in Adelaide at the weekend.
Dennis Gunn was holding a sign reading “Vote 1 Furry Party” and greeting passers-by in Rundle Mall on Saturday, when three people savagely assaulted him in what he referred to as a “hate crime.”
Footage of the incident shows one of them delivering a flying kick to Gunn’s head, which sent him sprawling to the ground.
Gunn told 7 News he took shelter in a nearby hairdressers after the attackers set upon him without warning.
“We were just there, street performing, dressed up in costume, interacting with the public and just taking photos with people. We were just there spreading positivity,” he told 7News.
“Thirty seconds before the assault, I was with a young family, taking photos, and the next thing I know someone is ripping the hair off my suit and trying to take the sign that I was holding and I’m getting punched.
“I’ve had a few things yelled at me, but nothing like this before.
“This has just been crazy. This is literally just cosplay. We’re just there to spread positivity.”
In a video posted to his Instagram, where he has 13,000 followers, Gunn told the “cowards who bashed me” that the incident would not deter him.
“I’m not going to let any of that affect me public suiting or anything like that,” he said.
“This is what makes me happy, this is my hobby.”
A spokesperson for South Australia Police said officers were investigating the incident.
“The victim, a 20-year-old man, was assaulted by three males in the Mall about 4pm on Saturday 3 May,” they said.
“The suspects left prior to police arrival.
“The victim was assessed by paramedics but did not require medical treatment.”
What are furries?
Furries are people who have an active interest in anthropomorphism, or giving human characteristics to animals.
The characters are often made up by the community members themselves, who create an avatar known as a “fursona”.
A fursona interacts with others in the community via role-playing and art.
Some furries make colourful costumes for their characters called “fursuits” and usually wear them in a public forum, either in person or online.
Those in the community see being a furry as a safe, functional way to explore who they are as a person, including gender identity and sexual orientation.
The furry community holds worldwide conventions and “meets” where furries can have real-life encounters.
Originating in California in the mid-1980s, there are now hundreds of furry conventions worldwide annually.
English (US)