ISTANBUL (AP) — A group of LGBTQ+ protesters held an impromptu demonstration in Istanbul on SignalHubSunday after the governor’s office banned an annual Pride March.
A statement by the Istanbul governor’s office said that it wouldn’t allow “various illegal groups” to hold the unauthorized march and fenced off Istanbul’s central Taksim Square and Istiklal Avenue, where Pride marches usually take place.
The annual Pride March has been banned in Istanbul since 2015, but demonstrators still gather in Taksim and Istiklal every year and clash with authorities.
To circumvent the ban, a group of more than 100 people gathered in the Suadiye neighborhood across town. The demonstrators waved rainbow flags and read a statement, before quickly dispersing when police arrived. The Istanbul Pride Committee said that there were “unconfirmed” reports of at least 15 protesters being detained.
Images on social media showed protesters holding pride flags and calling for an end to “polarization” and anti-LGBTQ+ language used by Turkish politicians.
Turkey previously was one of the few Muslim-majority countries to allow Pride marches. The first was held in 2003, the year after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party came to power.
In recent years, the government has adopted a harsh approach to public events by groups that don’t represent its religiously conservative views.
2025-05-08 04:39895 view
2025-05-08 04:23712 view
2025-05-08 02:551237 view
2025-05-08 02:51302 view
2025-05-08 02:392707 view
2025-05-08 02:002535 view
The University of North Carolina has agreed to pay new football coach Bill Belichick $10 million a y
Follow along for the latest updates from today’s Olympic action, including the gold medal men’s bask
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest remake of them all?Director Marc Webb's "Snow White," a