District governor bans İstanbul Feminist Night March

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The Beyoğlu District Governor's Office has banned the 21st Feminist Night March in İstanbul's Taksim to mark International Women's Day.

The demonstration might cause an uproar among a section of the public, considering the social media messages about the event, the office said in a written statement.

Also, "verbal, physical and provocative" attacks involving the demonstrators and other groups might occur during the event, it said. Such incidents would endanger public order and national security, according to the statement.

Earlier in the day, the police placed barricades on streets leading to İstiklal Avenue, where the demonstration was planned to take place.

In response, the organizers of the march said they would defy the ban as they did in the past several years.

"March 8 cannot be banned! Our Feminist Night March, which began in 2003 with nearly 100 women, has grown steadily despite all the oppression, bans and obstructions. As every year, we'll be on the streets to fill the squares and give each other strength this year!

"Against the patriarchy, capitalism, the profiteering system you rely on, heterosexism, transphobia, racism, nationalism, religious oppression, exploitation, impoverishment, imprisonment, borders-sieges, war, and male-state violence, we'll continue to be on the streets with our revolt.

"Just as every year, we're going to be in Taksim at 19.30 to fill the squares, give strength to each other and take to the streets." (EMK/VK)