İstanbul - Police intervened in the 9th Trans Pride March on 19 June in Istanbul, resulting in at least eight individuals being taken into custody.
After a six-year hiatus, the Trans Pride March resumed only to be met with a police blockade in Taksim, causing disruptions in the subway system. As a result of police intervention, at least eight people were detained.
Prior to the march, Taksim was under police blockade from early morning hours. Around 9:00 am, police barriers were established on all roads leading to Taksim. As marchers began gathering around Taksim in the afternoon, police closed off certain areas with barriers and barricades, allowing only those working in Beyoğlu to pass by verifying with the e-Government duty certificate.
Furthermore, measures were taken to prevent access to Taksim before the march. Starting from early morning hours, the Şişhane and Taksim stations of the Yenikapı-Hacıosman Subway Line, and the Taksim-Kabataş Funicular Line were shut down.
Trans citizens and human rights advocates attempted to gather in side streets prior to a planned press statement at 5:00 pm, despite all obstructions. As police enforced further blockades, LGBTI individuals started moving towards Harbiye. The blocking efforts continued in the area between Harbiye and Kurtuluş. Despite these obstructions, LGBTI citizens gathered on Çimen Street in Osmanbey, where they made their press statement.
In the press statement, Yusuf from the Trans Pride Committee said in summary:
“While there are trans individuals who do not deem themselves worthy of life due to the isolation policies being stoked and believe they have no place in this geography; undoubtedly, trans suicides are political. The deaths of Hande, Mısra, Nefes, Murat, Günay, Zirve, Berrak, İpek, Deniz, Ecem, and many others; each is a massacre. Every associate that propagates transphobia through their discourse, primarily the state, is complicit in these massacres."
After the reading of the press statement, as the LGBTI individuals began dispersing, police intervention intensified, leading to detentions. During the dispersal, at least eight individuals, including one minor, were taken into custody.
