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Turkish police violently break up LGBT Pride march in Ankara

Turkish police violently break up LGBT Pride parade at Ankara university
MENA
2 min read
11 June, 2022
Turkish police attacked a group of students during a LGBT Pride parade at Ankara's Middle East Technical University on Friday.
Hundreds of students participated in a LGBT Pride march at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara [Getty]

Turkish police violently attacked students during a LGBT Pride march at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (METU) on Friday, according to reports. 

Multiple videos have surfaced on Twitter showing dozens of police armed with shields and batons entering the university and detaining some of the students. Some tweets said that the police also used tear gas.

“Scenes of peaceful Pride marchers on the METU campus being confronted with police using unnecessary and excessive force, including pepper balls, are deeply disturbing,” said Nils Muižnieks, Amnesty International's Europe Director, “particularly as this is a repeat of the brutality we saw here three years ago.” 

In 2019, students who similarly organised a peaceful Pride march at METU were also met with excessive force, with police reportedly using tear gas, pepper spray and plastic bullets.

18 students and academics were arrested, and only released in October 2021. 

“It is a dark day when university authorities notify the police to break up students who are simply marching peacefully for their rights to dignity and equality. All those detained by police solely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly must be immediately and unconditionally released,” added Muižnieks.