It all started with a simple “Begruessungskuss” -- what Austrians call a greeting kiss.
Anastasia Lopez and Eva Prewein met at the iconic Vienese Café Prückel on Jan. 6. But after their waiter spotted the couple kissing at the table, they were refused service -- and eventually thrown out.
In response to the incident, thousands of protesters gathered outside the cafe for a kiss-in on Friday night to show their solidarity with the young couple.
"Nicht gegen etwas - sondern für etwas, keine Hetze!" Super Motto zum Einstieg! #kuessenimprueckel pic.twitter.com/svWT7b5f8T— Daniel Landau (@LandauDaniel) January 16, 2015
According to The Local, an English-language Austrian news outlet, when Lopez and her girlfriend sat down at the cafe and exchanged a brief kiss, the waiter refused the pair service for over two hours.
The manager said “diversity such as this belongs in a brothel, not in a traditional coffee house,” according to The Local.
Before kicking the couple out of the cafe, the manager reportedly told them: “You girls could always go to Facebook!”
And on Facebook they went. With the support of several LGBT groups, Prewein and Lopez organized the kiss-in outside the Prückel.
#kuessenimprueckel pic.twitter.com/YqCgJ0Ve06— lisa (@lisaschreibt) January 16, 2015
On the night of the event, the cafe was closed and guarded by police. About 2,000 protesters showed up at the kiss-in, according to local news paper Krone.
The couple explained to the crowd that their kiss was nothing provocative, but just a simple greeting. Supporters of the women used the hashtag #kuessenimprueckel to share photos and pledge their solidarity with the pair.
Doughnuts for kisses at #kuessenimprueckel gathering in #vienna pic.twitter.com/3put3fgGqr— The Local Austria (@TheLocalAustria) January 16, 2015
Dunkin’ Donuts made an appearance with free heart-shaped doughnuts for any pair who kissed and a message declaring “We reward kissing!”
In a press release issued Thursday, the manager of Café Prückel made a formal apology to the women, but wanted "to ensure that recognized standards of behavior in society are adhered to by all guests."