Turkish police scuffle with group protesting against detentions of LGBTQ+ activists

Turkish police scuffle with group protesting against detentions of LGBTQ+ activists

A group protesting the raids on LGBTQ+ associations and the detentions of activists scuffled with police in Turkey's western province of Izmir on Monday (September 14). The group marched in Izmir earlier, chanting slogans in support of LGBTQ+ individuals. They were later surrounded by police, who told the group to end their protest and disperse, leading to arguments and scuffles. Police did not allow pro-LGBTQ+ signs and flags during the demonstration and some people were affected by pepper spray used by police to disperse the group.

A Turkish court ordered the detention of 16 people pending trial in Izmir as part of a government campaign that has included sweeping raids on LGBTQ+ associations, a prosecutor's office said on Monday.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on Sunday (September 13) the investigations, coordinated by prosecutors in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Aydin and Mersin, involved 162 suspects, nine associations and 13 businesses across 15 provinces.

The government says the operation is aimed at protecting children and family values. Authorities detained 26 people in Istanbul and 21 in Ankara over the weekend and raided the offices of several LGBTQ+ associations. Rights groups accuse the government of increasingly targeting the LGBTQ+ community through rhetoric, restrictions and legal measures.

REUTERS VIDEO

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