Police prevent gathering for Pride Month in İstanbul, detain 11 people

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Several LGBTI+ activists were exposed to police violence in İstanbul's Kadıköy district, Yeldeğirmeni Neighbourhood, yesterday (June 5).

The activists were planning to issue a press statement welcoming Pride Month, however, police blocked them with violence, and 11 people were detained.

LGBTI+ activists were beaten on the police bus before they were taken to the station for their statements.

Although no public announcement was made for the press statement which was going to be held after 18.00, more than 200 police officers started to wait in Yeldeğirmeni Neighbourhood as of 15:00.

As soon as the statement started, three announcements were made, saying that the action was not "legal".

Gözaltılar başladı pic.twitter.com/XnH7hEJ4ey

— Tuğçe Yılmaz (@tucyil) June 5, 2022

Then police attacked the LGBTI+s and detained 11 of them. LGBTI+s taken to Vatan Police Station were released around 22:00.

"We don't care about threats, pressure, borders, bans"

The press statement that the activists could not make was about celebrating the Pride March and also protesting the oppressive policies of the government.

"We LGBTIQA+ people are on the streets again. Our voices, laughter, and slogans echo in these streets. We are here with our identities, orientations, queerness, and all our existences. We don't care about threats, pressure, borders, and bans. Our guide is the intersectional queer and transfeminist politics, we are here with our bodies, our language, and our desires. We are here with our resistance!"

"We will be equal"

"We call to all segments of society: Without us LGBTIQA+s, neither an egalitarian constitution nor a peaceful society can be achieved. We repeat: sexual orientation and gender identity have to be recognized in the constitution, we will be equal, and you will be equal with us! You will be equal with us whether you want it or not. Patriarchal phobic murders will not remain unpunished, and we will have access to rights such as hormones and shelter."

Trustees, KHKs, imprisoned deputies

The statement also drew attention to state oppression in the mostly Kurdish-populated provinces of Turkey, trustees appointed to the People's Democratic Party (HDP) municipalities, imprisoned HDP MPs, and the associations that were shut down by statutory decrees (KHK).

"We are strong together, we continue to resist, Happy Pride" the statement concluded.

(TY/TB/VK)