Women from Iran burn headscarves in İstanbul in Mahsa Amini protests

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Women from Türkiye and Iran gathered in İstanbul's Kadıköy yesterday (October 2) to protest the killing of Jîna Mahsa Amini by Iran's morality police on September 14.

Surrounded by the police, the demonstrators displayed pictures of Amini and chanted slogans in Turkish, Kurdish and Persian in front of the Karaköy Pier.

"We don't want the Islamic Republic of Iran, we want the Republic of Iran," and "Jin jîyan azadî" (Women, life, freedom for Kurdish) were among the slogans they chanted.

Some women burned headscarves during the demonstration where rainbow flags were unfurled.

Reading out a statement, the women noted that over 200 protesters have been killed in Iran since Amini's killing, while over 5,000 have been arrested.

"There have always been, and will continue to be, women who do not bow to the religious fascist regime of Iran, which tries to fit women into certain forms by ignoring their lives, rights and will through provisions designed according to Sharia," they said. "We stand with the Iranian women and the fight of the Iranian people against the mullah regime."

Many detained in Ankara

A demonstration was also held in the capital city of Ankara, where protesters faced violent police response.

The police did not allow the women who gathered on Sakarya Street to read out a statement. They detained many women and dragged some of them to the ground.

Officers also tried to block journalists from filming the incidents with their shields.

(EMK/RT/VK)