Article author:
Associated Press
ISTANBUL (AP) — The LGBTQ pride organizer in Istanbul states that more than 360 people were detained by police on Sunday after all pride events were banned.
KaosGL, LGBTQ's leading rights association, issued a police statement on Monday stating that all detained persons had been released after undergoing a medical examination. Some were released overnight.
Last week, district governors in two popular districts of Istanbul, Beyoglu and Kadikoy, outlawed all LGBTQ events, saying they would ban them to ensure security, peace and prevent crime. .. Police closed many streets and subway stations on Sunday to prevent protesters from gathering. Police also pushed and detained journalists.
Amnesty International said the ban was "very strict" and "arbitrary." Milena Buyum, a Turkish activist in the rights group, tweeted that detained individuals were "deprived of the freedom they were exercising their rights to" for freedom of speech and assembly.
Turkish authorities have allowed the Pride March to be held for more than 10 years since 2003, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Prime Minister. In 2014, up to 100,000 people participated in Istanbul Pride.
But in 2015, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Since then, marches have been banned, and top Turkish officials call LGBTQ people "perverts" who aim to undermine traditional family values.
