Dear friends – I came to Istanbul Pride to stand proudly beside our partners.
After Pride was banned for the fourth year in a row, they were given permission to gather publicly and read a statement on the importance of Pride to the LGBT+ community.
The crowd refused to accept that a five-minute reading of a statement was all they would be allowed and defied the order to disperse. Many had to run for their lives when police starting shooting plastic bullets and tear gas.
Luckily, I made it out safely. Others haven't been so lucky. Dozens of people were beaten by police and many have been arrested. One attendee was attacked by 10 police officers and a police dog.
We urgently need your help to defend and protect the fight for Istanbul Pride.
Your donation will help us shine a light on the attacks at Istanbul Pride, defend and protect the LGBT+ activists bravely defying Pride bans, and bring global attention to the abuses of police and authorities who so shamelessly violate our right to come together in community and Pride.
Pride has been banned in Istanbul since 2015 without any convincing legal justification, citing "security concerns" for the public. In reality, it's the city's LGBT+ citizens who face unbelievable danger.
We've been working with local partners here for years and today I witnessed firsthand their unending strength and defiance. Pride is truly a privilege so many of us take for granted. After today, I will never think of Pride the same again.
Thank you for going All Out,
Yuri Guaiana,
Senior Campaigner
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