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Police use violence to stop Istanbul Pride March

26 Jun 2021

Countries

Turkey

The actor of the backlash

Law Enforcement Authorities

The form of backlash

Enactment of violence (offline/online) Judicial harassment (incl. Arbitrary Arrests, Bans, and Detentions)

Political trend

Anti-gender Illiberalism

Rights at stake and state’s obligations

Freedom of assembly and association Sexual and reproductive health and rights Freedom from violence

26 June 2021: Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in an attempt to stop the Pride March in Istanbul and arrested over 20 people. A photographer with AFP covering the Pride March was physically assaulted and arrested. He said on Twitter: “they tried to kill me, they tried to prevent me from breathing,” according to Stockholm Center for Freedom. The Coalition for Women in Journalism reported that at least five female journalists were subjected to police violence.

See Washington Post, June 2021; Ahval news, June 2021; Stockholm Center for Freedom, June 2021 and The Coalition for Women in Journalism, June 2021.

Police use violence to stop Istanbul Pride March

Counter-response

Statement by Amnesty International