Police violently crack down on peace rally in Istanbul

In Istanbul, a rally in protest against the ban on the World Peace Day demonstration was violently dispersed by the police. An as yet unknown number of participants were taken into custody, including Abuzer Aslan, co-chair of the branch of the Health and Social Services Workers’ Union (SES). Nevertheless, the crowd managed to leave Tünel Square and cross the Istiklal Avenue to reach Taksim Square, which was cordoned off by security forces. The protest was promoted by the Alliance of Forces for Labor, Peace and Democracy.

Trade unionists detained

Earlier, small side streets of Istiklal Avenue and the party building of the HDP provincial association had been cordoned off by the police. Neither the two co-chairs, Erdal Avcı and Elif Bulut, nor the board and party council members present were allowed to leave the headquarters. Also locked inside the premises were activists from the Kurdish women’s movement TJA and Nesim Özkan, co-chair of the prisoners’ aid association MATUHAY-DER.

“Shoulder to shoulder against fascism”

HDP deputy Musa Piroğlu was surrounded on his way to the rally site along with a group of media workers. In protest, he repeatedly chanted “Shoulder to shoulder against fascism” and “Long live the brotherhood of peoples.” Piroğlu’s faction colleagues Hüda Kaya, Necdet İpekyüz, Züleyha Gülüm, Erol Katırcıoğlu, Zeynel Özen, Oya Ersoy, Nuran İmir and Tülay Hatimoğulları were also at the scene. They moved back towards Galatasaray Square after the alliance marched and gathered in front of the Russian Consulate. There, parliamentarian Erol Katırcıoğlu made a statement.

“Turkey has a governance problem“

“Today we intended to make known our protest against the ban on demonstrations issued by the governor on the occasion of World Peace Day. For this, we only wanted to make a public press statement. However, the police acted ruthlessly and in a heinous manner against this peaceful intention,” Katırcıoğlu said. He remarked that the attack order on the gathering illustrates once again that Turkey has a governance problem. “They are attacking us because we are in the right. We are an important political movement that advocates and demands peace in this country. You have to come to terms with that whether you like it or not.”

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