Turkey: Riot police fire tear gas at banned women's day rally

Source: dw.com





Thousands of women defied a ban on marches on a central shopping street in Istanbul and were greeted with shoving, pepper spray, tear gas and dogs. The marchers said the government protects men who abuse and kill women.




Attempts to ignore a ban on demonstrations by staging a massive march for International Women's Day on Istanbul's central pedestrian shopping street have been met with a heavy-handed response by Turkish authorities.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, most of whom were women, gathered at Istikal Street on Friday but were confronted with cordons and a large police presence. The marchers were there to denounce violence against women and demand greater rights.

'I was born free and I will live free'

Initially, police allowed the women to enter one small section of the street, at which point demonstrators unfurled large banners emblazoned with phrases such as "Feminist revolt against male violence" and "I was born free and I will live free."

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Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-riot-police-fire-tear-gas-at-banned-womens-day-rally/a-47832283

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Turkish police block International Women's Day march in Istanbul (picture alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis)

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