People of Artvin in Turkey get attacked by police for protesting bill on child abuse

A group of demonstrators in Turkey’s Hopa district were violently attacked by police for wanting to hold a protest against the government’s recent scandalous bill which suggests for suspension of the punishment for those convicted of child sexual abuse if the perpetrator marries the victim.

Having met at the Municipality Park at Hopa town center yesterday (November 21) at around 15:00, the group, mostly made up of women but also accompanied by many men, wanted to gather at the park in order to read out their statement objecting the proposed bill and to demand its immediate withdrawal. As the women in the crowd stretched out the banner reading ‘Rape is crime against humanity; it cannot be legitimized’ and started chanting ‘this bill will not pass the Parliament’, riot police also began surrounding them.

In the video, it is seen that the demonstrators try to talk to the police, who tell them they cannot hold their demonstration because of ‘state of emergency’. When the police say ‘no’, women ask the police: ‘Do you accept this bill? How could stand against us here?’

As the demonstrators continue trying to read out their message, police attacks them violently, causing a clash to break out. Several people were taken into custody as a result.

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/hopa-da-cinsel-istismar-duzenlemesini-protesto-eden-kadinlara-cok-sert-saldiri-136542.html