Five trans women fined over March 8 demonstration

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On the occasion of March 8 Women's Day, the İstanbul March 8 Platform organized a protest demonstration at Beşiktaş pier in İstanbul's Kadıköy district on March 6 last year. Of the LGBTI+ activists detained afterwards, five Kurdish trans women have been fined 3,500 lira.

The women were detained with torture following the demonstration and they are now fined as per the Law no. 1593 on Public Health.

As reported by Pembe Hayat (Pink Life) LGBTT Solidarity Association, after the demonstration held by the İstanbul March 8 Women's Platform in Kadıköy last March 6, five Kurdish trans women were taken into custody and were given a fine for violating the Public Health Law.

What happened?

Police officers did not let rainbow flags or any other flags or symbols representing the LGBTI+ community in the demonstration site where the İstanbul March 8 Women's Platform called for protest in İstanbul's Kadıköy district on March 6, 2021. Police also attacked the Trans+ cortege formed upon the call of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) LGBTI+ Assembly and had the microphones turned off following their statements on the stage.

After the demonstration, the police followed the LGBTI+ activist trans women and took them into custody. Following the Kurdish trans woman who made a speech on the stage and other LGBTI+ activists on the side streets and forcing them to get out of the taxi, the police battered and detained the women. The ones who lashed out at their detention were also detained.

In a statement about the incident, the HDK LGBTI+ Assembly said, "Attacking the March 8 Women's Meeting today, the police took five Kurdish trans women, our five trans+ and queer activists, into custody by torturing them to the point that they fainted. As we also said during the demonstration: 'Get used to it; we are not going anywhere.' Release our activists!" (EMK/SD)