LAST UPDATE 22:58
Turkish police today banned thousands of people from gathering for Istanbul’s annual Pride, arresting more than 200 activists and journalists in the Taksim Square area.
Prior to the start of the rally, which was banned, special police forces raided a bar in the Jihangir district near Taksim and randomly arrested spectators, including journalists and members of the LOATKI + community.
Thousands of people used to take to the Pride marches on Istanbul’s main boulevard, but in recent years the government led by President Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist party has toughened its stance on LGBTQ + community freedoms.
Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, however, hostility against it is widespread and the police crackdown on parades is getting tougher every year.
Today, Sunday, heavily armed police blocked access to Taksim Square and blocked several roads in the nearby Jihangir district, where they tried to gather citizens. Public transport in the area was also shut down.
Local authorities in the area had banned all Pride Week events between June 20 and 26, saying they could lead to public unrest due to public sensitivities.
For its part, the Istanbul Bar Association stressed that peaceful demonstrations could not be banned.
Last year, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu described some students as “LGBT deviant”, while Erdogan praised his party’s youth, saying they were not “LGBT youth”.
Middle East University students in Ankara were arrested for taking part in university pride marches, but were acquitted.
Source: Capital
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