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Women gathered in alleys leading to İstanbul's İstiklal Avenue to hold the 20th Feminist Night March.
However, as the Governor's Office banned the march, police had already closed all streets leading to the avenue and surrounded Taksim Square.
"We have seen that another world is possible"
Yet the women did not leave the area and gathered in the Cihangir quarter to read out a statement. The statement briefly says:
"Twenty years ago, we, as a groups of feminists, gathered together in Mis Street, Taksim, said, 'Is it a coincidence that all presidents who started a war are men?' and started the Feminist Night March.
"Tonight, on March 8, 2022, we, thousands of women, are together, under the shadow of war started by men, again. We are saying, 'This revolt will not end without building a feminist world.
"We have not only increased in numbers through the years, but also have organized a feminist struggle beyond these streets; we have established solidarity. We have seen that another world is possible against the patriarchy that oppresses us, the capitalism that exploits us, the heterosexism that tries to bring us in line.
"Attacks on the İstanbul Convention and the Law No. 6284 paves the way for feminicides, male violence and trans murders. We say, we can't tolerate losing one more person in the face of these attacks by the cooperation of male-state and patriarchy."
"Revolting against patriarchy"
"As our existence is defined with family, we continue to say, 'We are not family; we are women, we are in a feminist revolt!'
"We respond to the government's homophobic, transphobic and hateful words and the neglection of LGBTI+s rights to work, shelter and even life with our solidarity and struggle.
"We don't accept our right to alimony being usurped to empower men, who say they are 'aggrieved.'
"We don't accept the imprisonment of women fighting patriarchy, women politicians and the closure of women's organizations and women counseling centers with statutory decrees and trustees.
"We say, 'The feminist revolt will not end without establishing an equal and free world where there is no patriarchy, capitalism, racism, wars, invasions, religious oppression, and labor exploitation!' Long live our feminist struggle!" (EMK/HA/VK)
