Victim of transphobic assault: 'Streets belong to all of us, we are not leaving!'

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Street musician Melis Yağmur Hanzade who got attacked in a transphobic hate assault three days before (December 3) in Alsancak, İzmir, and her friends made a public statement and protested the assault.

"We are here today and we will be every day. The streets belong to all of us, get used to it, we are not leaving," said the trans woman and she sang a song where the attack took place.

"Before I am killed"

Inviting everyone to be sensitive, Hanzade said, "I hope we develop the necessary sensitivity before I am killed one day or some other trans friend of mine is killed. We really expect a stance, at least from the people who understand us." 

On December 3, Saturday a person approached Hanzade and her friends and asked them if they believed in God. 

They replied saying "We do believe in God, we may not be believing just as well but you do not have the right to ask us as such."

"I came to communicate the words of the last prophet,"  said that assaulter and hit Hanzade, and added, "I am banning you from being on the streets." (TY/PE/VK)