‘We make ourselves heard even behind four walls’

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The LGBTI+ community was planning to hold the first Pride March of Aydın province yesterday (July 11). However, the march was prevented by the police. In response to this hindrance, activists from Aydın say, "We make ourselves heard even behind four walls."

The first LGBTI+ Pride March to be held in Aydın province this year was prevented by the police forces, who blockaded the Özgecan Arslan Park, where the march would take place, and the Human Rights Association (İHD) Aydın Branch, where the preparations were ongoing.

As reported by the LGBTI+ Solidarity activists, police officers started keeping watch in front of the İHD office at around 1 pm yesterday. When the activists left the building, they were faced by police threats.

Criminal record check before entering the İHD

"We were aware that they wanted to inflict psychological violence on us," say Aydın LGBTI+ activists, sharing the following details:

"When we, as activists, went out, the police came to us and threatened us, saying, 'There is a ban, you cannot hold the march.' We returned to the association building to finish our work.

"After 1 pm, the police presence in front of the association grew more and more. The association building was blockaded from all sides. The riot police started setting up barricades in front of the association.

"While our preparations were going on inside the building, the Özgecan Arslan Park, to which we made the call, was blockaded and the police did a criminal record check on the ones who came for the march. Everyone entering and leaving the association underwent a criminal record check.

'Both we and they increased in number'

"As the hours passed, the police presence in front of the building increased. We were aware that there was a desire to inflict psychological violence on us. As they increased in number downstairs, we increased in number inside the association. The police were waiting downstairs to take us all into custody as soon as we got there.

"When we announced that our protest came to an end and while we were on our way to the party, the police approached some of our friends and said, 'You cannot walk like this. What was the deal?' We said, 'We didn't protest. You cannot even tolerate us walking on the road.'

"Thinking that they could intimidate us with a police blockade and hinder our goals, the government was unable to prevent us from achieving our goals. We make ourselves heard even behind four walls. They must have been so afraid that they blockaded a group of people."

Following the blockade, the Aydın LGBTI+ Solidarity activists held an online press statement at the İHD office.

'LGBTI+s exist in all provinces of Turkey'

The statement of the Solidarity briefly read:

As the LGBTI+s, whose existence, identities and colors are disregarded, whose living spaces are usurped, who are brought face-to-face with systematic hate and hate attacks through discrimination and othering, we are at the squares and crying out loud, 'We don't give up on our rights and lives' for ours streets, universities, campuses, clubs and safe spaces which have been occupied by the government and for the İstanbul Convention, which is attacked by the government.

"We would like to say that there are noy only the LGBTI+s accepted in certain metropolitan cities and continuing their existence, but the LGBTI+s exist and will exist in all provinces of Turkey, therefore, we have been affected in the deepest way possible by the hate policies systematized by the government, but, we, as the LGBTI+s, will never give up.

"Our existence has not disappeared just because you said, 'There is no such thing.' LGBTI+s have existed in this land for centuries and they will continue to do so." (DSH/AÖ/SD)