Police in the Turkish city of Istanbul
have enforced a ban on an LGBT Pride march.
Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin had
banned the march scheduled to take place on Sunday.
Sahin said he was reacting to threats
made against the marchers by the ultra-nationalist Alperen Hearths
group.
According to the
BBC, police blocked people from entering Istiklal street, where
the rally was scheduled to start, and briefly fired rubber bullets to
disperse marchers. Some outlets reported that roughly 10 people were
detained.
Istanbul's annual LGBT march is
believed to be the largest in the Muslim world. But authorities have
banned the rally for the third year in a row.
Organizer Lara Ozlen told the AFP that
banning the march was “undemocratic.”
“It is obvious that a peaceful march
is part of our constitutional right,” Ozlen told the news agency.
“It's been known for years. Instead of protecting us, to say 'do
not march' just because some will be disturbed is undemocratic.”