Turkish authorities shut down pride event

Turkish authorities converged on a previously banned LGBTQ+ pride event in Istanbul on Sunday, leading to the arrest of at least 15 people. 

Early on Sunday, the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the provincial-level authority appointed by the national government, issued a warning to organizers and would-be participants that pride would not be permitted.  

The annual June march takes place in cities across the globe but rarely in predominantly Islamic countries. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's conservative AKP government, which has spread anti-LGBTQ+ views, made the event illegal in 2015 for unspecified “security reasons.”  

Police search the streets 

Eyewitness reports from the chaotic scene say police blocked off roads leading into central Istanbul, shut down public transit lines, and deployed many officers to prevent the march.  

After dispersing the crowd, police allegedly searched the streets for suspects.  

Responding to the ban and subsequent crackdown, LGBTQ+ groups reportedly reconvened on the other side of the city, issuing a statement saying, "We never get tired of deceiving the police and forcing them to deal with us."  

"You have closed all the streets and squares; you have stopped the life of a whole city, but you have forgotten that we will pierce the stone and find each other if necessary."  

The Turkish provincial authorities also promised to investigate any organizations calling for the march for illegal activities.