Activists Clash With Riot Police at Transgender Event in Istanbul
The clashes come on the heels of protests over a
By
MICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN
June 19, 2016, 4:36 PM ET
• 3 min read
— -- Activists clashed with riot police in Istanbul, Turkey over a pro-transgender event that was banned by the government over security concerns.
Video from the event posted on the Facebook page for Istanbul LGBT Pride Week shows demonstrators chanting as police attempted to disperse the crowd.
The government said the march was banned in order to "safeguard security and public order," according to the BBC.
An Istanbul Pride parade planned for June 26 was also banned by the government due to similar security concerns. Organizers of the event, which was first held in 2003, have called the ban a violation of the law.
The clashes come on the heels of skirmishes between fans of the band Radiohead and police that occurred on Saturday in protest over an attack that took place at a record store on Friday night.
A mob of men carrying sticks and bottles had attacked Radiohead fans who had gathered in a store to listen to the band's new album, according to Turkish media reports.