Women to hold March 8 Feminist Night March in the face of governor’s ban

"We are here! We don't fear! We don't hush!" (Photo by Evrim Kepenek - bianet)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Governor's Office of İstanbul has announced that meetings, marches and press statements will not be permitted in İstanbul's Beyoğlu district on March 8 International Women's Day tomorrow.

The Governor's Office has said, "On the occasion of March 8 International Women's Day, 47 indoor and outdoor meetings, press statements, distribution of leaflets, opening of stands-banners and marches have been organized in the places previously announced as per the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations in our 20 districts since March 3, 2022."

Referring to the social media calls to a series of events announced to be held in the Taksim Square and its surrounding areas on the occasion of March 8 International Women's Day tomorrow, the Governor's Office of İstanbul has stated that "the Beyoğlu Sub-Governor's Office has banned the unlawful events such as meetings, marches, press statements, sit-in protests, opening of stands, setting up tents, distributing leaflets, etc. within the borders of Beyoğlu district on March 8, 2022 Tuesday with the aim of protecting rights and freedoms and preventing the committal of crimes."

The Office has announced that the related events will not be allowed as per the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations and the Law no. 5442 on Provincial Administration. The Office has added that the İstanbulites may hold "lawful events in the places and routes which were previously declared as sites for marches and demonstrations as per the Law no. 5442."

It has reiterated that "protest demonstrations in places other than these sites will definitely not be allowed", adding that "all security measures have been taken to ensure that all events in the city are held on a legal ground and in the specified sites in an environment of peace and trust".

Women: We marched for 19 years

Making a statement on the March 8 Feminist Night March social media account, women have declared that they do not recognize the ban:

"Every year, despite all obstacles, we are at the feminist night march on March 8 to lay claim to our rights, lives, existence, equality and our labor. We marched for 19 years; we will also march in the 20th year."

Her yıl tüm engellere rağmen 8 Mart'ta haklarımıza, hayatlarımıza, var oluşumuza, eşitliğe, emeğimize sahip çıkmak için feminist gece yürüyüşündeyiz. 19 yıldır yürüdük, 20. yılda da yürüyeceğiz. pic.twitter.com/xAB1xRAYPg

— 8 Mart Feminist Gece Yürüyüşü (@8MartYuruyus) March 7, 2022

(EMK/SD)