'We want Taksim, İstanbul and all cities and rurals'

Click to read the article in Turkish

The 19th+ İstanbul Pride March was held in Taksim despite all bans of the İstanbul Governor's Office and Beyoğlu Sub-Governor's Office.

As the İstanbul Governor's Office did not permit the 19th İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride March to take place in the Maltepe Meeting Site on the Asian side of İstanbul, the pride march was to be held in Taksim. However, this time, the Sub-Governor's Office of Beyoğlu has banned the 19th Pride March.

Hundreds of people gathered in Taksim despite the ban. Police intervened against the group, taking at least 20 people into custody.

CLICK - 19th İstanbul Pride March: Police attack in Taksim

While the protests were continuing on the side streets of Taksim, the statement for the press was read out in Cihangir.

While the police attack was ongoing, the group chanted the slogan "Deniz Poyraz is immortal", referring to the deadly attack on the İzmir Provincial Organiziation office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on June 17, which claimed the life of HDP's Deniz Poyraz.

The full statement is as follows:

"We are holding our 19th Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Parade, once again in Taksim, on Saturday, June 26th. As we stand up to restricting our space by dispersing and being everywhere, this time we are all together turning back and filling up the streets, blaring out.

"To those who dare enslaving us in our own streets, rivers, mountains and bodies; we protect and expand our space against the state, police, trustees and the mob, the hatred and marginalization.

"We watch over our streets against the systematic and ongoing oppression of society in recent years.

'They try to criminalize rainbow, we claim it'

"Last year has passed with oppression, violence and bullying for both LGBTI+s and the whole society. However, we do not back down from our rights, existence, and freedom. Against those trying to criminalize rainbows, we claim it.

"Sex worker women displaced from Küçük Bayram continue to resist in the streets the precarity, violence and oppression experienced in the pandemic as in all disasters.

"In the protests that started with the appointment of trustee rector Melih Bulu at Boğaziçi University, all Boğaziçi students and academics, especially LGBTI+s, continue to stand out against the state violence, trustees, and unjustified assignments.

"Kurdish trans+ people, who were subjected to detention and torture in Kadıkoy on March 6, continue to resist on the streets.

Withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention

"Women and LGBTl+s continue to stand in the streets against those who abolished the Istanbul Convention in one night, which aims to protect the lives of lubunyas [queers] and women.

"Lesbians, ignored by the 12th president saying there is no such thing, continue to claim their identities and resist on the streets.

"Lubunyas, targeted and declared as deviant by the ministers with exposed relationships with the mafia, continue to come out with honor, to be visible, to deviate from moralism, and to resist on the streets.

'To keep Deniz Poyraz alive...'

"The Kurds, who are tried to be scared out of politics by the raided party buildings, continue to keep Deniz Poyraz alive and resist on the streets.

"Those who resist for mountains and waters in İkizdere and for the planet as a whole continue to resist in the forests and on the streets.

"For days, the wastes of the governments have been manifesting itself on the Marmara Sea. Despite this, today there is also the groundbreaking ceremony of Canal Istanbul, which means the slaughter of the nature, sea and habitats of all living things in Istanbul.

"As we stick up for life, from Gezi Park to Hasankeyf, states impertinently continue to plunder nature and culture for years.

"We know the violence and threats from Eryaman, Sur, Mount Ida and the plundering of many of our safe living spaces. Day by day exposing state and mafia relations are in our lives, in our homes; it does not get off our tail!

'Behind all bans, attacks, there is fear'

"The threats and attacks of state officials against our picnic in Heybeliada [Halki Island] and Maçka this year have shown us once again that hatred, violence and war are fed by the state itself.

"We, as LGBTl+s, women, workers, Kurds and students, are determined to stand together against all the attacks directed against us by the state. We will organize together, shout together in the street, party again, protect and grow our safe spaces, all together.

"Because we know, behind all bans, attacks, blockings and attempts to ignore, there is fear! They are aware of their crimes and are afraid of facing trial. They are aware of the will of the people, they are afraid of losing their seats. They know that we will not disappear by being ignored, they are afraid of our existence.

"But there is more than that! We are more queer, more immoral, more lacy, more organized than they think. We keep resisting on the streets.

"Lubunyas who are here today, missing the streets and each other very much; those who could not come maybe because they do not feel well or for some other reason; those who are bullied or feel lonely; or displaced; those who faced state violence, Happy Pride for all!

"We want not only this street, but also the whole of Taksim, Istanbul and all cities and rurals. Bless your heart lubunya! Happy pride month!" (RT/SD)