'March for Democracy': Police intervention in Van, several HDP members detained

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One of the two groups of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) reached Van city in eastern Turkey yesterday (June 15) evening.

After HDP Co-Chair Mithat Sancar and party members got off from their cars around Van Shopping Mall, the police intervened, detaining several people, the Mezopotamya Agency reported.

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Ne HDP'nin ne de Kürt halkının iradesini kıramayacaksınız. Van'dayız ve faşizme karşı, faşizmi yıkacağımız günlere yürüyoruz.#EdirnedenHakkariyeHepBirlikte pic.twitter.com/swKijEO05E

— Nusrettin Maçin (@nusrettin_macin) June 15, 2020

After the police intervention, HDP Urfa MP Nusrettin Maçin tweeted, "You won't be able to break the will of the HDP or the Kurdish people. We are in Van and we are marching towards the days when we destroy fascism."

The HDP group then walked to the party's provincial building in Van. making a statement there, Sancar said that they encountered a "nice atmosphere in Van despite obstacles."

"Our purpose is to share our desire for justice, freedom and democracy with our people. Spreading these desires to Turkey in waves. We have started from Hakkari, we have started singing the song of freedom until Edirne," he said.

Özgür Özel, the parliamentary group chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) criticized the police intervention, saying, "The prevention of the HDP's march and the intervention is a restriction of a constitutional right. What happened strengthens the perception of 'police state' and damages the principles of democracy and state of law." (EKN/VK)