About 30 people attended a “Fight Against Hate Crimes” rally in front of the El Paso County Courthouse on Friday, the El Paso Times reports. The rally was organized in response to a brutal attack outside the Old Plantation gay nightclub in downtown El Paso earlier this month. Four suspects have been arrested in the May 7 beating of 22-year-old Lionel Martinez, which family members say was an anti-gay hate crime. Martinez’s sister says he finally regained consciousness last Wednesday but remains in critical condition and is struggling with his memory. LGBT advocates say El Paso police haven’t done enough to address violence in the area of the Old Plantation. A fundraiser to help Martinez’s family reportedly is planned for June 5 at the nightclub.
