ISTANBUL — Turkish police stopped activists from gathering in large numbers for a gay-pride event in Istanbul on Sunday, but smaller groups defied the ban imposed by the governor.
Organizers of the event had vowed to march in central Taksim Square despite the order from the Istanbul governor’s office that banned gay-pride observances for the third year in a row.
Police established checkpoints in the area, turning back individuals who were deemed to be associated with the planned march. Small groups assembling on side streets were chased away by officers.
At least 100 protesters gathered in a nearby neighborhood, beating drums and chanting slogans such as, “Don’t be quiet, shout out, gays exist!”
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and activists said plastic bullets were also used. Riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area. Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency said “an estimated 20 people” were detained after protesters did not heed warnings to disperse.
In banning the event, the governor’s office on Saturday cited safety and public order. It also said a valid parade application had not been filed for Sunday’s event.
“Our security will be provided by recognizing us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom,” event organizers said in a statement.
Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since the republic’s founding more than nine decades ago, though activists have lobbied for years to have sexual orientation and gender identity covered by Turkish laws protecting civil rights and prohibiting hate speech. The Turkish government says there is no discrimination against gays and that current laws already protect citizens. It also insists that perpetrators of hate crimes are prosecuted.
Turkish authorities allowed pride marches to take place for more than a decade after the first one was held in 2003. But in 2015, police dispersed crowds using tear gas and water cannons after a last-minute ban. In 2016, amid a series of deadly attacks blamed on the Islamic State extremist group or on Kurdish militants, the event was banned again.