LGBT community in Turkey gathers in İstanbul's Taksim

People who gathered around Taksim Square of Turkey’s İstanbul for holding the Pride March 2017 were attacked by police.

While several entrances to the area were blocked, police also ordered for tables and chairs outside of some cafes where LGBT community members were waiting for their march to start to be removed.

According to reports of Zeynep Kuray from BirGün, police chased journalists who wanted to report from the site with police dogs.

Crisis Desk of LGBT Pride March Committee reported that 9 participants of the march were taken into custody by 17:15 local time.

The committee also reported that those who were taken into custody in front of the French Culture Center on İstiklal Street were held in police car, where the police made them listen to versus from the Koran.

The LGBT Pride Week Committee of Turkey broadcasted live from the site through social media while reading their press statement, where they said they will be ‘celebrating on the 25th Pride Day March although it’s been banned by the İstanbul’s governor again.’

Referring to authorities and people that react against them, the statement said: ‘We are not afraid; we are here; and, we are not going to change ourselves! You are afraid; you are going to change and get used to it! For 12 years, we have painted this street to the colors of the rainbow and we wished for freedom…”

Turkey correspondent of BBC Türkiye, Mark Lowen, on the other hand, reported that the police on the site forcefully asked a LGBT activist to take of his shirt that had a rainbow image on.

Photo shared by BBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/taksim-de-renkler-bir-arada-onur-yuruyusu-166636.html