Turkish anti riot police officers fire rubber bullets to disperse protestors on June 18, 2016. PHOTO: AFP
Several hundred police surrounded the city's main Taksim Square to prevent the "Trans Pride" rally taking place during the holy month of Ramazan.
The crackdown came after police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets on Saturday against people protesting after Islamists attacked fans of British rock group Radiohead for attending an album launch during Ramadan.
Muslim states block gay groups from UN AIDS meeting; US protests
A group of about 20 men beat up customers and staff at the Velvet IndieGround music store on Friday night, angry that they were drinking alcohol at the event.
On Saturday, about 500 protesters took to the streets in Istanbul shouting "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism!" and denouncing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "thief" and a "killer".
Turkish authorities have regularly cracked down on anti-government demonstrations since mass protests swept the country in 2013, using tear gas and water cannon against even small gatherings.
1732354127-0/Untitled-design-(3)1732354127-0-270x192.webp "north america s oldest macaroni penguins mark their 40th year")
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ