Once again, a Pride Parade will not happen in Istanbul, Turkey, making this the fourth year in a row that their form of a pride parade will be banned.
The Istanbul Honorary Week Committee, the organizers of Turkey's Pride Parade which is called the "Honor Walk," stated that the march was organized in order to 'ensure visibility'. The committee reminded them of the right to peaceful demonstration in the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations, stating that they have been fighting for 26 years in order to 'march to turn into a call from everyone'.
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In a statement that was read to the Governor, the committee elaborated:
As long as it is peaceful, it is the right of every citizen to organize all kinds of meetings and marches without prior permission. However, as we do every year, we asked for an interview this year to talk about our march [with the government]. We did not have an obstacle in front of the march because there was no such a situation this year, which was forbidden because the voices we made with the assistant governor corresponded to Ramadan in the previous years, but the last decision was still given by the governor.
Following the meeting, the committee also wrote, "We regret to say that the governor's response actually showed that we cannot take our security and that it is not appropriate to organize the March of Honor by showing the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations, which we should take to protect our protest. "
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The committee also announced that they would march by not recognizing the ban. The walk was announced on 1 July at Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim at 18.00.
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Riot Police Shut Down Istanbul LGBT Rights Rally With Teargas And Rubber Bullets (June 2016)
h/t: diken.com.tr