Blood everywhere -- I was soaked in my own blood . . . a protestor shouted, representing a local survivor of a recent gay-bashing assault.

With signs, noisemakers, buttons and anger, about 200 demonstrators rallied in front of Cedarbrook Apartments Friday evening in a call against violence and gay bashing.

"We're here because, over the last year, a lot of us know someone who has been attacked," Catharine Buck (junior-English and women's studies) said as the dull beat of a bongo droned in the background.

"This is not about rumor, this is not about hyperbole," she said, addressing the large crowd that gathered in front of the apartment building. "We're tired of our friends getting the shit beat out of them."

According to a flier distributed before the rally, the corner of Beaver Avenue and Locust Lane was the site of an attack against four women who "were harassed and attacked by over 20 men and one woman" on Feb. 3.

Buck, who read the victim's account of the attack, said the women were verbally harassed for their sexual orientation. According to the account, a woman yelled, "You're all lesbians. Why don't you just go home and have sex? You're going to hell anyway."

But State College Police Chief Tom King said the victims did not suggest the assault involved issues of sexual orientation.

Members of the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, Direct Impact Via Action (DIVA) and other supporters joined in protest of the assault on the corner. They chanted and held signs displaying the words "Enough is enough" and "Stop the violence."

Protesters conveyed a general message that violence affects everyone -- not just members of the gay community.

"We're all here together in total support of their protest against violence," said Undergraduate Student Government Vice President Lori Pennay, adding that this is an issue that goes beyond a person's sexual orientation.

Members of the State College Police Department were also present at the rally, at the protesters' request. Cpl. Duane Musser said the police agreed to patrol the rally and advocated the group's peaceful protest.

"We support the fact that people are allowed to exercise their constitutional rights," Musser said.

The event was in honor of all survivors who allowed the ralliers to make their stories public. Protesters read scripts, which they said were renderings based on actual assaults, while several observers on the balconies of Cedarbrook, 320 E. Beaver Ave., and Penn Towers, 255 E. Beaver Ave., yelled, "Go home!" and "Go to hell, you faggot. Get a job or an education!"

As rush-hour traffic crawled down Beaver Avenue, drivers honked their horns in response to the rally. In turn, protesters gave them the thumbs up sign in appreciation of their recognition.

The protesters later walked down Locust Lane toward the HUB lawn, temporarily stopping traffic on College Avenue. Once they reached the HUB lawn, they joined hands and formed a circle around the statue of the fallen soldier. One by one, they left the circle and staged a die-in. Someone yelled from the crowd, "If you get attacked, report it!"

Despite the rage demonstrated by protesters, the rally was peaceful, and few people publicly disagreed with their message.

Anderson Huwitt (junior-sociology) said he overheard members of Kappa Sigma fraternity, 255 Highland Ave., ridicule the protesters and joke that they would throw snowballs at them. Huwitt said when he confronted the fraternity members, they had little to say.

David Smith, president of Kappa Sigma, denied the allegations and said the fraternity brothers did not make threats or derogatory comments toward the protesters.

"Our fraternity does not condone (gay bashing)," Smith said.

Steve Castor, administrative vice president of Interfraternity Council, said he attended the rally to show that fraternity members do not condone violence of any sort. But he called the Greek community homophobic and said members tend to "group think." Castor said the Greek system should do more to educate the fraternities.

"It's definitely something that's a shame," he said in response to the alleged comments. "It's not very intelligent."