'Why can't I walk in my own country?': Pride marcher confronts police after brutality
A Pride marcher in Istanbul confronted police after they blocked roads and prevented the march from taking place. "Why can't I walk in my own country?" the marcher was heard asking in a video shared on social media.
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A Pride marcher in Istanbul's Taksim confronted a barricade of police officers after they blocked roads and prevented the march from taking place.
Turkish police on June 26 once again brutally dispersed the Pride march and detained some 20 people.
Footage shared on social media showed a marcher confronting police officers to understand why they're not allowed to do the Pride Parade.
"Why can't I walk in my own country?" the marcher was heard asking in the video, questioning why they are denied their basic rights.
"We're not doing anything bad to you. We're not harming you," they said, as the group of police officers remained silent.
Turkish authorities have repeatedly banned Pride events in recent years. Before then, thousands of people used to take part in the parade in Taksim.
Turkey has long been a candidate to join the European Union but its accession process has been languishing for years amid tensions over a variety of issues including human rights.
(Video by Fatoş Erdoğan/dokuz8HABER)