Many Detained in HDP Sit-Ins Against Trustees

*Police intervention in Ankara (Photos: HDP)

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) protested the trustee appointments to Mardin, Van and Diyarbakır metropolitan municipalities.

While sit-in protests in the three Kurdish majority cities have been going on since the mayors' dismissal on August 19, the HDP yesterday (September 4) attempted to stage sit-ins in İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana and Antep where it faced police intervention.

Ankara: Ten people detained

HDP members gathered on Sakarya Street in Ankara to stage a sit-in. Ten people, including HDP executives, were detained while police restricted entrance and exit to Sakarya Street. The police detained people who were removed from the area in alleyways.

İstanbul: sit-in not allowed

Darbeye karşı çıkanlara İstanbul’da da polis saldırısı gerçekleşti. Amed’de, Van’da, Mardin’de nasıl sokaklardaysak, İstanbul’da, İzmir’de, Ankara’da da sokaklardayız. Kayyım Darbesi’ne karşı her yerde direnmeye devam edeceğiz. pic.twitter.com/D8iBwa7EKT

— HDP (@HDPgenelmerkezi) September 4, 2019

In İstanbul, the HDP provincial organization attempted to hold a protest in Beşiktaş district. Several MPs from the party also attended the event. The police did not allow the protest, detained numerous people.

İzmir: MPs encircled by police

The police prevented the HDP MPs and members from making a statement to the press on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street. Saying that the statement is not legal, the police encircled three MPs who were going to read the statement and removed the other participants from the area.
While being encircled by the police, the MPs said, "We will fight until we bring peace, democracy and law. The people have not surrendered to you, they will not. But should know this: We will not remain silent on the trustees, corruption, plunder and persecution. You are committing a crime. We will exercise our right." The MPs then staged a sit-in.

Adana: Police lock activists in hall

In Adana, HDP people attempted to stage a sit-in at Abidin Dino Park after an event they attended. However, the police closed the door of the hall where the event took place, saying a statement for the press was prohibited and exits would not be allowed. The group then staged a sit-in in the building where the event took place.

Antep: Statement allowed

HDP members were also not able to stage a sit-in in Yeşilsu Park, Antep. As part of a 30-day ban on meetings, demonstrations and marches by the Antep Governorship, police said the press statement could not be carried out.

Then, HDP Antep MP Mahmut Toğrul said that the practice was unconstitutional and that they would make a statement to the press. After the talks, the police said they would not allow the sit-in while allowing the statement.

"Trustees are the enemies of the people's cultural values, their mother tongue, nature, women, art and the Kurdish people," said Müslüm Kılıç, the provincial chairperson of HDP in Antep. (RT/VK)