Politics Turkey: More than 100 arrests at demonstration on International Women's Day
112 people have been arrested during demonstrations to mark International Women's Day in Istanbul. The morning after the protest, one person was still in custody on Sunday, while the others were released after questioning, according to the organizers.
09.03.2025, 10:23
SDA
Demonstrations on International Women's Day have been banned in Istanbul for years. This time too, the gathering was banned on the grounds that it could endanger "public order and social peace". Despite the ban, hundreds gathered for peaceful protests in the city center, chanting slogans such as "Long live our feminist struggle".
People also took to the streets in other cities in Turkey on March 8 to protest against violence against women and LGBTQI+, among other things. According to the platform "We Will Stop Murders of Women", 59 women have already been killed by men in Turkey this year. The abbreviation LGBTQI+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex people - the plus sign is a placeholder for other identities.
The Turkish government is openly anti-LGBTQI and has proclaimed this year the "Year of the Family". Many saw this as a declaration of war on people who do not live according to a traditional family image. The vice president of the state media regulator RTÜK also announced the "fight" against LGBT. RTÜK monitors radio, television, print and online media content and can impose penalties.
