– The police were ready before the march began. They started firing tear gas and plastic bullets a few minutes ago, says Norwegian Thomas Gidebo.
He is in Ankara to take part in this year’s Pride Parade and see if it goes smoothly. The parade is at the Middle Eastern University of Technology (METU).
Gjedebo was not allowed inside because the area was closed to everyone except students. He sits in a hotel room nearby and follows the situation online.
According to Amnesty, police have arrested several students who took part in the Pride train at a Turkish university.
Photo: Amnesty Turkey
Gjedebo is associated with an organization that works with gay students at Turkish universities.
A few minutes ago, he was able to confirm that many were afraid. Police intervened, Gjedebo says.
Videos posted Student organization At the university, people on trains are shown with flags. Videos should be from today’s parade. Videos have also been released of police chasing participants.
– This is a predicted disaster, says Gjedebo.
Students should have been arrested
Wrote in an amnesty in Turkey Press release They wanted those at the university to follow the train.
Today they have released several videos and photos of students participating in the parade.
– Police forces came towards the library and warned the students to disperse. The organization writes in a letter that as soon as the warning was issued, police intervened and began arresting the students. Twitter posts.
The video shows several people being arrested by police at the university.
In that post, students posted a video showing police running behind them. You can also see the police arresting some people who took part in the train.
A Another post The group also wrote that police used tear gas during the march.
Several people were arrested during the previous protest
Thomas Gidebo is in Ankara to take part in the march. He did not enter the area.
Photo: Private
There has been tension over whether the march will take place.
The university administration has already banned this year’s festival.
In 2019, students and staff who took part in a peaceful protest on campus were subjected to brutal treatment by police.
– Three years ago, a peaceful Pride march at METU was met with by police using pepper spray, plastic bullets and tear gas. Amnesty director says participants were arrested before being released and dragged through interrogations In a press release.
– Amnesty Turkey writes that it is very sad that no lessons have been learned from this incident Twitter Today.
Prize won
Turkey is one of the worst countries to be strange in Europe. The Writes ILGA Europe.
While it is not illegal to be weird in Turkey, carrying out Pride trains is challenging. In 2015, among other things, one closed Prohibition of pride marches In Istanbul. Participants were met with water cannon and rubber bullets.
It also has bizarre pupils known in the body. At the same time they have the support of the whole world. The student body that was behind the march in Ankara in 2019 was successful two years later Student Peace Prize.
Activists protest in Ankara in the summer of 2021. Even after the protest, many people were arrested by the police.
Photo: Burhan Osplici / AB
The prize is awarded every year. It goes to students or organizations that work to promote peace, human rights and democracy.
Gjedebo led the students’ Peace Prize when the Turkish Student Organization received the prize.
– In 2019, there were similar reactions. Many have been in the judiciary for two years and face imprisonment. Before this year’s march, it was announced that there would be stronger reactions than that, Gjedebo says.
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