06/03/2021 | Writer: Kaos GL
The police did not let the LGBTI + banners, trans and rainbow flags and umbrellas to the March 8th demonstrations Kadıköy, İstanbul. The police forces attacked the Trans+ Cortege in Kadıköy. After the end of the demonstration, police followed trans women, attacked and detained them.
Photo: Cansu Yıldıran, police attacks trans women after the protest
A rally was held today (March 6) at Kadıköy upon the call of the İstanbul March 8 Women's Platform.
After the arbitrary and discriminatory ban order against rainbow flags at the March 8 demonstrations in Adana, the police told the protesters that "LGBTI + flags and rainbow symbols will not be taken into the field due to the order of the Governorate of İstanbul". Although the Governorate of İstanbul did not publicly announce such a ban, the police even tried to take away the rainbow-colored umbrellas from the protestors.
Trans+ Cortege overcame the police barricade
Police also tried to prevent the Trans+ Cortege of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) LGBTI+ Assembly from entering the field and attacked LGBTI+'s. The Trans + Cortege overcame the police barricade and entered the area.
The joint statement made on behalf of the March 8 Women's Platform was read in Kurdish, Turkish and Arabic at the rally. In the statement, LGBTI+ phobia was mentioned as follows:
"We are the LGBTI+s who are attempted to be disregarded and targeted by the state, but do not give up saying, 'Get used to it, we are here, we are everywhere', even for an instance. We are the LGBTI+s struggling against heteropatriarchy and assigned identities with our elected loves; we are together. We, especially trans people, are struggling together in the face of state violence and state-led displacement targeting all LGBTI+s. We see that the man-state is raising the LGBTI+ phobia and misogyny"
Microphone was turned off after the slogan "We are transvestites, we are here"
The March 8 Women's Platform also announced that the microphone was turned off after the Trans+ Cortege said, "We are transvestites, we are here, get used to it, have your peace with it as we are not going anywhere" during the rally:
“They had the microphone turned off after this speech. Get used to it, have your peace with it as we are not going anywhere! #ÖzgürlüğümüzüKazanacağız (We Will Win Our Freedom) We are not able to announce "We are dispersing, the rally is over". We are trying to disperse enthusiastically :)"
The police went after trans women activists
After the end of the rally, the police forces followed the trans women LGBTI+ activists, including Yıldız İdil Şen who gave a speech at the rally, stopped their taxi in an alley in Kadıköy and forced the LGBTI+ activists out of the car by using excessive force. Three trans women were ambushed on the road to their homes and even the persons who tried to record the incident were battered and detained.
HDK LGBTI+ Assembly said, “The police, who attacked the March 8 Women's Rally today, detained our trans+ and lubunya activists Yıldız, Rukan, Güneş, Eren and Hejar with torture to such an extent that they passed out during their detainment. As we said in the rally, 'We Are Here, Get Used to it, We Are not Going Anywhere!' Release our activists!"
March 8 Women's Platform announced the detentions as follows:
“The police stopped the taxi of our LGBTI+ friends who spoke on the podium and detained them. Yıldız İdil Şen are in custody.
A friend of ours who reported that Yıldız were detained by saying "They are using rear-handcuffs, attacking them, torturing them" was also detained. "
Police detains Şener Yılmaz Aslan
Police also attacked journalists and detained photo journalist Şener Yılmaz Aslan. Aslan shouted, “I am taken into custody because I have photographed torture to trans women” while he was taken into custody by the police.
Rainbow flags were not allowed in Beşiktaş: The lesbians, mesbians exists!
LGBTIQ+ banners were not allowed by the police at the demonstration of the We Will Stop Femicides Platform in Beşiktaş yesterday (March 5). The platform reacted to this intervention both in the demonstration and on social media, shouting slogans "The lesbians, mesbians exists!":
“They did not allow our LGBTIQ+ banners into the rally area. Whatever you do, the LGBTIQ+ people exists and we will win their rights together."
Tags: human rights, women
