Dozens detained after Istanbul Pride march
Turkish police on Sunday detained dozens of people after they participated in an Istanbul Pride march. Reuters reported police in riot gear blocked access to the city’s Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square and limited access to public transportation in the area.
The news agency noted police detained at least 50 people. An activist with whom the Washington Blade spoke on Sunday said police took 60 “of our friends … into custody.” “Two of the people the police unlawfully took from the streets to take statements are under the age of 18,” said the activist.
Turkish authorities over the last decade have cracked down on LGBTQ and intersex activists in the country. Police in 2015 used tear gas and water cannons against people who were about to participate in an Istanbul Pride march.
Authorities in 2017 arrested nearly two dozen people who defied a ban on Pride events in the city. Police in Ankara, the Turkish capital, on May 10, 2019, arrested 18 students and an academic who participated in a Pride march at the Middle East Technical University.
