16/06/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
İzmir Headquarters are on full alert in order to prevent LGBTI+s’ picnic! Following the police attacks on Ege and İzmir Democracy universities, the last target was İzmir Dokuz Eylül University.
Following the police attacks on Ege and İzmir Democracy universities, police also attacked Pride Month picnic held by Dokuz Eylül University.
The police, who took preventing LGBTI+s’ picnic as a duty, detained five students, who went to Dokuz Eylül University for the picnic held by Direnişin Renkleri (Colors of Resistance) yesterday (June 14). Police attacked LGBTI+s by following the bus they were on.
After the detainee students were released, Colors of Resistance were able to have the picnic by hurdling the police blockade.
“We were able to hold our picnic against all the odds, detentions, interventions and surveillance! We responded with our will against those who tried to prevent our Pride Picnic at Dokuz Eylül University with detentions and pressure. Everywhere and always, we have existed and we esist and we will continue to exist!”
This is not the first attack against a picnic in İzmir!
2nd Ege Pride Picnic, which planned to be carried out on June 2nd, was openly threatened by some organizations such as Youth Union of Turkey (TGB), Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) and New Welfare Party.
İzmir Bar Association formed a crisis desk and held meetings with Security Directorate and Rectorate of Ege University. 2nd Ege Pride Picnic was postponed after the Security Directorate and Private Security Force stated that they would not ensure the safety of LGBTI+ students.
Police also attacked LGBTI+ students from Ege University, who gathered at Free Platform in front of the İzmir Bar Association to make a press statement regarding the threats, by saying “We can allow only 2-3 of you, we don’t want to see more of you here.”
LGBTI+ activists and Bar Association lawyers were beaten by the police. Despite the police attempting to prevent the statement from being heard by blocking in front of the Bar Association, 2nd Ege Pride Picnic activists were able to read their press statement.
Colors of Resistance, İzmir Democracy University (İDÜ) wanted to organize a Pride Picnic. They were going to have picnic today (June 13) in İnciraltı. However police blockade started both on the university campus and in the picnic area, hours before the picnic time.
Police threatened LGBTI+s, who went to İnciraltı to make preparations for the picnic planned. Then they detained two of the students by using violence. Their friends couldn’t take information from the detained LGBTI+s for a while.
The detained students were taken to the Balçova Police Headquarters. They are expected to be released after their testimony.
Stating that İzmir Police committed a crime, Colors of Resistance condemned the police attack targeting their friends:
“As LGBTI+ students of İzmir Democracy University, our #İDÜOnurPikniği (İDÜ Pride Picnic) was prevented on the pretext that it would ‘turn into a demonstration’. Release our detained friends! We will not allow you to arbitrarily prevent Pride Picnics!”
The Colors of Resistance hold a picnic at Kültürpark, after their friends were released. Addressing the law enforcement officers Colors of Resistance said: “We were able to hold our picnic against all the odds, preventions and bans. We will not allow the rainbow to be banned! Our every march is a pride march, get used to it, we are here!”
Tags: life
