Owners of inclusive Inverness cafe defiant after being targeted yet again by anti-LGBTQ+ hate

Police have charged a teenager following yet another hate crime incident at Xoko, an LGBTQ+ owned coffee shop in Inverness, which has been targeted at least a dozen times since it opened in July 2021.

The latest attack occurred outside the popular venue, where its Progress Pride flag was ripped down and the premises vandalised. Officers confirmed they are treating the matter as a hate crime.

Xoko, co-owned by Fernando Basaldua Bazaldua and Tristan Aitchison, has long prided itself on being an inclusive and safe space for the community.

Speaking after the charge, Tristan said: “We let the flag fly as a beacon of hope for people, and people have told us that they want us to keep flying the flag.

“We will continue to fly the flag no matter how often people try to rip it down.”

The incident has sparked renewed calls from local LGBTQ+ groups for stronger action against hate crimes. Highland Pride described the repeated targeting of Xoko as “shocking and unacceptable”, warning that such attacks risk damaging Inverness’s reputation as a welcoming city.