Turkey: Women in Istanbul defy ban on protests, get tear-gassed
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Alaina
- . March 9, 2023
- . Update: March 9, 2023 11:46 pm
Thousands of women defied a ban on protests on International Women’s Day, 8 March, and rallied in Istanbul, a major city in Turkey, before police used tear gas to disperse protesters.
Turkish women called it a “feminist night march”. They demonstrated for about two hours. However, the Police prevented them from reaching Taksim Square, which is situated in Beyoğlu in the European part of Istanbul. Police also detained many people during the march.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Republican People’s Party released a report that revealed more than 600 women had been killed in Turkey by men since 2021. Protesters slammed the government for withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, also known as the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which aimed to protect women from domestic violence. Turkey’s We Will Stop Femicides Platform also said that 328 Turkish women were killed by men over the past year.
Organisers had been forbidden from marching down the Istiklal pedestrian avenue, also known as the Grand Avenue of Pera, where Women’s Day marches have been held since 2003. The authorities disapprove of the demonstration for the second straight year.
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Turkish Police blocked demonstrators’ access to the famous avenue in Turkey’s biggest city. According to the Associated Press, police officers detained at least 30 people and used tear gas after the women ended their demonstration.
Local authorities banned the march, saying that the protest could lead to verbal or physical attacks. Reportedly, a female protester said, “We are not harming anyone, but unfortunately, we are faced with police violence every time.”
Some protesters also held banners that read “we are angry, we are in mourning” for over 46,000 people who died in Turkey in the February 6 destructive earthquake.
The Istanbul Governor’s Office also suspended several Istanbul metro services as part of security measures adopted to protect people.
