As we celebrate a huge marriage equality victory in this nation, others are still fighting the fight just to assemble. There is not much to report as of now, except for the disbursement of Pride goers. Let's pay attention these next few days to see what Istanbul will say about the event if anything.
Turkish riot police dispersed a Gay Pride event on Sunday using tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.
According to Hurriyet Daily News, the 13th Istanbul LGBTi Pride Parade was initially approved to take place but then unexpectedly banned by the Istanbul Governor’s Office, which cited the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan as the reason for the cancellation.
Thousands of people had gathered at the event in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street and began to chant slogans denouncing the “fascism” of the regime under the Islamic-conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after which police moved in.
There were no initial reports of injuries or arrests during the clashes.
US pop artist Lady Gaga posted a message on her Twitter account, apparently directed at the Governor of Istanbul, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, calling on him to end the violence and let the march continue. – timesofisrael.com
A press statement from the 2015 Istanbul LGBTi Pride March was as follows:
Greetings to all those who have embraced our path as their path, our struggle as their struggle! The 2015 Istanbul LGBTI Pride March has been banned at the last minute and without prior notice by the Istanbul Governorship on account of Ramadan. The police have attacked the participants, which was expected to be approximately 100,000 people, with pepper gas, rubber bullets and TOMAs [militarized police vehicles commonly deployed against civilian activists and protesters -Trans.]. With our self-respect at stake, we resisted. We resisted with our dances, our songs and our love! Love will win! – lgbtinewsturkey.com
Video evidence of the police activity has been pouring in. I think the worst visual from this whole atrocity can be found in the tweet below (press the play icon). The video, the shortest I will share is the most emotional and upsetting to watch. It made me tear up.
Here are some other videos that have come in from Sunday's unfortunate occurrence.
I am not sure what there is we can do if anything. Our hearts and prayers go out to our brothers and sisters and hope forward progression can take place. When incidents like these happen, does it lead to public sympathy or public cheers? I guess it depends on what side of the rainbow flag you are on.
Here are some other pictures from the violence in Instanbul. As always, you can click any image to see a larger version.
Policing a community means
Policing a community means knowing right from wrong, and protecting citizens of the community. Silence by omission, or following unethical orders of duty are exactly the reasons we prosecuted so many war criminals who stated they were only following orders from above. So in this light, the police are 100% wrong for enforcing unethical rules that have no basis in protecting the community
I just hope and pray the
I just hope and pray the fallout is something we can band together to overcome. Peace and love to Turkey. Stay emboldened. Stay proud. Let those flags fly in solidarity everywhere!
Lol the hate you all have for
Lol the hate you all have for the officers wishing death upon them makes you look foolish and ignorant and is no where near going about your "gay equality" in the right way….. Just sayin you sound extremely unintelligent talking like that…. Take away their salary and freedom??? Doesn't that go against the whole purpose of what you stand for? Equality for all???? Rant over.
Turkey must be booted from
Turkey must be booted from NATO and never allowed to join the EU. Their government is incompatible with Western values of liberty and equality.
Kudos to those brave souls standing for their rights against fascist Erdogan and his henchmen. Keep the photos and videos. If a new secular government is ever established in Turkey each of those cops should be prosecuted and stripped of salary, benefits, and freedom.
You are completely
You are completely contradicting your argument….
just keep on living happily
just keep on living happily in America ever after and never care about what is going on in other parts of the world.
Yes you are happy, be happy
Yes you are happy, be happy ever after, but your disgusting thoughts says you are not human, you don't deserve any equality any humanistic handling, world is not only for cloying poor ignorant creatures like you, every human deserve equality. Your life is only loss consumption of oxygen that we need for good people!!! So "GAFY". I wish your mother gave only blowjob to your dad, or your father cum on the floor and creatures like you never born.
This is so beautiful, I think
This is so beautiful, I think we should frame it…
This is just so not necessary
This is just so not necessary