Turkish riot police deployed crowd-control equips to disperse demonstrators who participated in a banned Pride march in Istanbul.
Law enforcement personnel fired tear gas at a crowd that gathered in central Istanbul on Saturday to support LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Local authorities had refused to authorize the event.
Footage from media outlets video shows helmeted police officers with riot shields pushing protesters off the street. A woman carrying a rainbow-colored bag was spotted blowing a whistle as she walked down the middle of a road with a line of riot police following behind her.
In another clip, a demonstrator is seen banging against one of the riot shields, triggering a confrontation.
Police were also spotted with crowd-control weapons as they chased down protesters who took part in the banned gathering. Around 20 people, including a photojournalist, were held, according to media reports.
Homosexuality is legal in Turkey, but the country’s conservative ruling party, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly hostile towards LGBTQ rights. Officials in the country have been wary of signing off on Pride events, citing security concerns.
Over the past several months, Erdogan’s government has clashed with student protesters seeking a more liberal approach to social issues. However, Ankara’s opposition to LGBTQ rights has further strained its tenuous relationship with the European Union, and complicating Turkey’s bid to join the bloc.
Meanwhile, New York City’s Pride march returned Sunday, a year after the coronavirus outbreak forced the celebration to go online-only for the first time in its history.
