Mob attack on LGBTI+s during Diyarbakır Newroz celebrations

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A group of men attacked LGBTI+s during yesterday's (March 21) Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır, a predominantly Kurdish-populated province in the country's southeast.

After members of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) intervened, they attacked them as well.

Ahead of the celebration event, the group whose members identify as "Kurdish nationalists" had said in a statement, "If you see flags of the TİP and LGBT, which have nothing to do with Newroz and Kurdishness, you can use them to ignite the fire of Newroz."

During the celebrations attended by tens of thousands of people, the group asked for rainbow flags to be taken down before attacking the LGBTI+s.

Lawyer Okan Altekin said they would file a criminal complaint against the mob, adding that they had videos showing the attack.

"We are not safe"

The lawyer, who also attended the event, said "we saw that they were looking for LGBTI flags to attack."

"They first attacked the TİP members. After they noticed us, they attacked us as well," he said. "The TİP members tried to protect us. Meanwhile, we began leaving the area in groups."

While they were leaving, a man with a knife chased some İHD members, who eventually sought help from the police, added Altekin. "We somehow got out of the area, and once again realized that our lives are not safe."

Even though the group was small in numbers, they also "triggered the other homophobic people in the environment," according to the lawyer. "This is what is really frightening. They come organized and, while manipulating the environment, carry out an organized homophobic attack.

"We have videos and will file a criminal complaint against these people. These complaints will be filed in the names of both me and the bar association."

Attack in İzmir

Meanwhile, Colors of Resistance (Direnişin Renkleri), an LGBTI+ group, exposed a man who attacked LGBTI+s during the Newroz celebrations in İzmir on social media.

Sharing his photo on Twitter, the group wrote that the person had been removed from the celebration area after people nearby intervened.

LGBTI+s faced hate attacks at Newroz celebrations last year as well, which drew condemnation from Kurdish politicians and activists.

(EMK/VK)