Police attacked in İzmir, lubunyas resisted!

Hundreds of police attacked LGBTI+ Pride March in İzmir. Gathering all over the board, lubunyas defended their Pride.

Photographs: Murat Kocabaş / KaosGL.org

Earlier on the 11th İzmir LGBTI+ Pride March, police blockaded Kıbrıs Şehitleri Avenue. Justifying the discriminatory ban decision of the İzmir Governorship, the police terrorized the streets of the province.

Before the march, the police didn’t allow even the lawyers from the İzmir Bar Association LGBTI+ Rights Commission to enter the street and they allowed people in after an identity check upon the objections.

Torture on the street

The police attacked a group of lubunyas (queers) standing on the Street before the march which planned to start at 18.00. Police blockaded lubunyas and prevented journalists from taking footage. They didn’t allow the lawyers either, and detained the participants of the march by beating them.

Detainees were handcuffed behind their backs and taken to police vehicles. They were kept in handcuffs behind their back in the stuffy vehicles. All that remained of the police violence was one shoe of a pair belonging to an activist, on the street. Police forced the activist into the vehicle with only one shoe on

Police also attacked KaosGL.org reporter: Get out of here!

Journalists, who tried to take footage of the violence, were also subjected to the police violence. KaosGL.org reporter Aslı Alpar was beaten while she was covering the march. When she said that she was a journalist, the police reacted by grabbing Alpar by the arm and pushing her away saying “You act as if you are one of them, get out of here!”

Lubunyas gathered in Kordon

Having overcome the police violence on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street, the LGBTI+ activists gathered in Kordon and were able to read the press statement. The police detained LGBTI+ activists here as well. At least 47 LGBTI+ activists were taken into custody during the march.

Green Left Party İzmir MP Burcugül Çubuk also participated in the march. The police also tried to prevent her from taking footage of the torture.