At least 93 individuals have been apprehended following the 21st edition of the march. As part of Istanbul Pride Week, activists managed to hang a rainbow flag on the iconic Galata Tower in the city’s heart late yesterday evening (June 25).

This act of advocacy took place following the 21st Istanbul Pride Parade, during which at least 93 individuals were apprehended. The activists who carried out the flag display reportedly encountered violence from security forces.

Earlier that day, despite bans and a strong police presence, LGBTI+ activists gathered in Istanbul’s Sisli district. The traditional march location in Taksim was inaccessible due to police barricades and closed metro stations.

However, in a seeming impromptu move, activists gathered approximately a kilometer away from Taksim, in Mistik Park, unfurling a large rainbow flag on the facade of a multi-story parking lot facing the park. They voiced their frustration with state-sanctioned persecution and managed to march a short distance while chanting slogans before the police arrived and started detaining people

Source: English Bianet