The Turkish authorities had previously banned the demonstration citing security concerns, but hundreds of people still gathered in Istanbul on Sunday.
A protester at Pride in Istanbul.
(dpa) According to the organizers, more than 150 people were arrested at a protest for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people (LGBTQ) in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. The police cordoned off the central district of Cihangir on Sunday and prevented people from gathering, as a reporter from the German Press Agency observed.
Security forces surrounded people with rainbow flags and other symbols of sexual and gender diversity and took them into custody before the protest began. Authorities had previously banned the demonstration citing security concerns. According to the MLSA lawyers’ association, among those arrested was AFP photojournalist Bülent Kilic. Despite the massive police presence, numerous people gathered in the side streets and waved rainbow flags. Local residents banged on pots and pans in protest at the arrests.
Under the motto “Resistance”, various associations had called for the parade entitled “March of Pride”. Among other things, they criticized an increasing LGBTQ-hostile climate in the country. In addition to the march, other events as part of the so-called “Pride Week” were also prohibited.
Berlin-based activist Liana Georgi, who lives in Istanbul, told dpa that she perceived the situation as “scary” and more tense than in previous years. The police literally “hunted” the demonstrators. “But I find it absolutely admirable how people still manage to get together and demonstrate peacefully,” said Georgi.
The “Pride Parade” in the Turkish metropolis could take place undisturbed for more than ten years with steadily growing numbers of participants. The event was banned for the first time in 2015 and was also banned in the following years.