Turkish police detained at least 30 people in central Istanbul as they tried to take part in a Pride March, which authorities had banned as part of a years-long clampdown on LGBTQ+ events, an opposition politician said.
Footage obtained by Reuters showed police scuffling with a group of activists holding rainbow flags in the city center before rounding them up and loading them into police vans.
Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Istanbul governor’s office had earlier deemed the march unlawful and said groups promoting the event were operating “illegally.” Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey’s largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns.
President Tayyip Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade. Rights groups have warned that government actions are fueling a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, contributing to rising discrimination and violence.
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