Women Don't Leave Taksim Despite Police Intervention

* Photos & videos: Evrim Kepenek/Ayşegül Özbek/Yağmur Karagöz

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As the Governor's Office of İstanbul announced that the 18th Feminist Night March would not be allowed to take place along the İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, Taksim, women started gathering in the side streets leading to the avenue which was closed by the police as of 3 p.m. today.

While the police closed all streets leading to the avenue, women's organizations invited women to Taksim to hold the march on 7 p.m.

Women wanted to express their demands in front of the French Cultural Center near Taksim Square on the occasion of March 8 International Women's Day. With the streets leading to the avenue closed by police, women started gathering in nearby Şişhane and Odakule.

As subway services were suspended by the Governor's Office, the women who joined the demonstration in Kadıköy, which is located on the Anatolian side of İstanbul, tried to reach Taksim on foot.

6.30 p.m.

Gathering in Çukurlu Çeşme Street near İstiklal Avenue in Taksim, women started to march towards Sıraselviler Street, chanting the slogan, "We don't hush, we don't fear, we don't obey."

Marching with the slogan, "World will be shaken if women are free", women wanted to enter Taksim Square, then to head for French Cultural Center.

Among the ones who participated in the march were also Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Oya Ersoy and Züleyha Gülüm and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Organization Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu and CHP MP Sera Kadıgil as welll as Evren İşler from the Association for Social Rights and Melda Onur.

6.50 p.m.

The women marching towards İstiklal were intercepted by the police on Sıraselviler Street. Police did not allow them to proceed any further.

7.15 p.m.

Women were still waiting in Sıraselviler Street to reach French Cultural Center.

7.40 p.m.

Still waiting in front of police barricades, women kept chanting the slogan, "Open, open, open the barricades." As the number of women was gradually increasing, the security measures were also stepped up.

8 p.m.

While women were intercepted by the police in Sıraselviler near Taksim Square, the other end of the crowd reached as far as Cihangir. A group of women who gathered in Cihangir started marching to Karaköy.

8.15 p.m.

Women attempting to reach French Cultural Center on Taksim Square started pushing the police barricades. The police had to withdraw the barricade as a result of the crowd's movement.

8.20 p.m

Police warned women to disperse, saying, "I am calling on the group who wanted to march to Taksim. The area that you want to march to is not one of the areas designated by the Governor's Offce."

8.25 p.m.

Police intervened against the group who wanted to reach French Cultural Center for the march. Using tear gas on women, the police also attempted to disperse the group by using their shields.

8.40 p.m.

Leaving Sıraselviler Street for Karaköy, a group of women reached Tophane.

8.45 p.m.

Keeping on using tear gas on women, police officers kept intervening against the group with shields. Police proceeded as far as Taksim İlk Yardım Training and Research Hospital on Sıraselviler Street.

8.50 p.m.

Having left Sıraselviler Street and walking from Tophane to Karaköy, a group of women closed Kemeraltı Street to traffic. While the women opened the road to allow an ambulance to pass, they kept on marching and chanted the slogan, "Refugee women are not alone."

9.10 p.m.

Intervening against the women with tear gas in Sıraselviler Street, the police detained some women who refused to disperse. Police officers also tried to keep off the journalists from the area.

9.20 p.m.

Following the intervention in Sıraselviler, women gathered in Karaköy town and read out the statement for the press there.

Feminist Night March banned by Governor's Office

Earlier today, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality announced that Taksim subway station would be closed as of 11 a.m. in line with the decision of the Governor's Office of İstanbul. "This practice has nothing to do with İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality", added the statement.

İstanbul Security Directorate also announced that several roads leading to Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue would be closed as of 3 p.m. today. Gümüşsuyu Street, Tarlabaşı Boulevard, Refik Saydam Street and Sıraselviler Street were designated as alternative routes.

Answering a question about March 8 International Women's Day celebrations to be held in İstanbul earlier this week, Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said on March 4, "You cannot do it on İstiklal Avenue; you can do it wherever you like, apart from it." (EMK/HA/SD)