As Obama supporters celebrated on Pennsylvania Avenue on Nov. 4, election night turned violent just a few blocks away when two Georgetown alumni were attacked near the site of the Republican National Committee election night party.
At 1:15 a.m. on Nov. 5, Zack Pesavento (SFS ’08) and Steve Kensinger (COL ’08) were attacked while walking along the 1000 block of 15th Street NW, behind the Capital Hilton, the location of the RNC party, according to a report filed with the Metropolitan Police Department.
As they passed the Hilton, a man in a blue-collared shirt and khakis lunged at the two and grabbed the rainbow-colored flag – a symbol of gay rights – that Kensinger was carrying. Kensinger said he tried to grab the flag back, when the man began to choke him, according to the MPD report.
Kensinger refrained from commenting on the event, saying that he had been advised not to say anything else to the media.
Local ABC News affiliate WJLA News cameras filmed the ensuing fight – which involved the assailant grabbing Kensinger’s shirt and swinging him around while Pesavento tried to intervene. The station aired the clip Thursday evening. Neither Kensinger nor Pesavento suffered serious injury.
The suspect was described as a 28-year-old white male and was also suspected of using alcohol, according to the MPD report.
“He seemed to be a little intoxicated, and maybe he was a little upset because his candidate didn’t win,” Pesavento said in a WJLA report.
Kensinger said both he and Pesavento are gay. While at Georgetown, both were members of GU Pride and spoke out for LGBTQ rights. After the attack, the assailant told police he did not know the rainbow flag stood for homosexual rights, according to the WJLA report.
Kensinger said he tried not to let the assault darken his memories of the evening.
“It was really upsetting; I was really shaken up,” he told WJLA. “It kind of put a damper on the evening, but, overall, I said, `I don’t want to let this guy get to me.’ It, like, it’s not worth it. He’s not worth my time.”
Kensinger and Pesavento have filed charges with MPD alleging assault.
Both men said they do not know the identity of their assailant, and the MPD report failed to mention the identity or status of any suspects.
Pensavento declined to comment on the record.
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