Police in Istanbul used rubber bullets to disband gay parade

Turkish police today used rubber bullets and tear gas to prevent the annual gathering of the Pride Parade on Istanbul's Taksim Square, the day after the authorities banned the gathering.

The police fired rubber bullets in the direction of the assembled, some dozen of them. Small groups of people gathered for Paradise pride, despite the ban. The city authorities said yesterday that the parade of lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender persons (LGBTIs) was banned for concern for the safety of participants and tourists, as well as the public order.

About 100,000 people attended Parada's pride in Istanbul in 2014, which was one of the largest LGBTI rights conferences in a Muslim country. Since then, Turkish authorities have refrained from re-holding the Parade of Pride, stating one of the reasons why the date of the parade coincides with Ramadan Bajram, but also that there is a threat to the extremists in the country.

• 25 Jun, 2017
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