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*Photograph: Çiçek Tahaoğlu
Activists have gathered in Beyoğlu for the 7th Pride Parade.
Ahead of the pride, prohibited by İstanbul Governorate, police have blockaded Taksim. Many riot control vehicles and police shuttles have been placed on Taksim square, İstiklal street, Tunnel square and side streets. Turkish flags hanging from numerous police shuttles have caught attention.
LGBTI activists have gathered in the street where İstanbul LGBTİ Foundation which has organized the Trans Pride Week is located.
Police arriving at the location and talking to the authorities from the foundation has noted that they would permit the press statement to be held on the street where foundation was located. Yet as the press statement was being held, the police attack has started.
The Press statement which could not be read due to police intervention reads as follows:
The 7th Trans Pride March that we have organized has begun in sadness and anger in the wake of the Orlando massacre. The discussions that began before we had even mourned the Orlando massacre exhibit the magnitude of the hate culture that is created in society. The calls to massacre by the jihadists and Salafist groups in the media and on social media complemented the decision of the Governor's Office to forbid the march and exposed the coalition amongst these groups. State officials who did not initiate processes of persecution supported these massacring groups who made calls for [a] massacre and bans with threatening statements and targeted people who wanted to exercise their constitutional rights to join the march. We Know of this collaboration from Sivas, from Maraş! We know of this collaboration from Suruç, from Amed [Diyarbakır], from Ankara! We know of this collaboration from Trans murders and the selfies taken with murderers! The Trans Pride March, organized 6 years in a row without any problems posed to public order, was terrorized by both the state and the puritanical groups, targeting our friends who participated in the organization of this week. The hateful culture created in society provided the basis for the attacks and, through the media, LGBTIs were turned into open targets. We declare here once again! The parties responsible for all the attacks that will occur due to this hate culture are Istanbul Mayor Vasıp Şahin, Istanbul Police Chief Mustafa Çalışkan, Minister of Interior Efkan Ala and the AKP government, who disregard and encourage this. This argument that began with the excuse of disrespect for the month of Ramadan shows us where those who are not Turkish, Muslim, Sunni, and male will stand in this nonsensical New Turkey. This sensibility that imposes their own norm on the totality of society and target those who do not abide by this norm will bring nothing but a massacre for the Kurds, Alevis, Armenians, Greeks, Roma, LGBTIs, women, laborers and workers. While every critical opinion about the President expressed on Twitter draws house raids, arrests, and detention, open calls to attack are disregarded and the complaints of rights defenders remain unprocessed. None of us are safe in a country where jihadist terrorist groups move freely, where borders are opened from one end to the other, where militants are treated in hospitals and sent back to the war zone. Within this reality, the situation of trans society is in an even worse state. Trans individuals who cannot camouflage themselves in social life are turned into targets and are deprived of all their fundamental rights. The Republic of Turkey, which defines itself as a social state, usurps our right to life, housing, education, health, and movement, forcing us to live in oppression that has not been seen before. We, the children of the rainbow, shout out once again: We are the owners of these lands and the guarantors of a bright future! We will continue to fight for an equal, free, and democratic world. We bow with respect to the memory of our friends massacred in Orlando and promise a world without homophobia and transphobia! Don't forget Orlando, don't let anyone forget! Despite hate, hooray life! Hate crimes are political! |
A police officer has attacked the activist holding the press statement. As the part of the statement saying "The parties responsible for all the attacks that will occur due to this hate culture are Istanbul Mayor Vasıp Şahin, Istanbul Police Chief Mustafa Çalışkan, Minister of Interior Efkan Ala and the AKP government, who disregard and encourage this" was being read, a police officer has attacked the activist holding the press statement. The intervention has started subsequently.
During the whole day, police have attacked the activists with pepper gas and plastic bullets every time a banner has been unfurled and a slogan has been chanted. The places the LGBTI persons have visited to get some drinks have been evacuated by force and later been shut down.
Attorney Rozerin Seda Kip talking to bianet has expressed "There is nothing called law here. We can't even take a step. Making a press statement is a legal right but they are attacking us and pounding us up. All these happen before our eyes".
At around 7:30 p.m. İstanbul LGBTİ has announced that they have ended the 7th Pride Parade by saying; “All LGBTI persons are walking Pride Parades alone, our existence alone is political”.
11 activists have been taken into custody during police intervention. They have later been released at 12.30 a.m.
What had happened?
The LGBTI Pride Parade being organized over 13 years was tried to be obstructed by the police for the first time last year.
Following the Orlando attack which claimed lives of 49 homosexuals, some groups in Turkey had issued threat messages and attack calls on the 7th İstanbul Trans Pride Parade to be held on June 19 and 14th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Parade to be held on June 26. (ÇT/DG)
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