Statement against the Bans and Police Brutality during 29th Istanbul Pride event 
 
We, as the United for Istanbul Convention initiative, condemn in the strongest terms the vast  violations of human rights that we witnessed these days. Banning peaceful gatherings and using  excessive force is against international and national law and this act must not remain  unsanctioned.
On June 22nd, the 29th Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week picnic, which was planned to be held in  Heybeliada and moved to Maçka Park in Şişli after being prevented by the Islands Police  Department, was also banned in Şişli. Later on, Şişli District Governorate banned all events  that could be organized within the scope of Pride Week for 30 days on the pretext of “national  security, public order, prevention of crime”. After the decision, police surrounded the park,  firstly, and did not allow rainbow symbols to be brought into the park. Later, police forces  raided the picnic area and attacked the crowd brutally, forcibly removed them and detained one  person.
These bans and attacks are obvious violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression  of LGBTI+ community failing to respect a number of ratified legally binding conventions. The  government of Turkey by violating the human rights of LGBTI+ citizens is imposing their  discriminatory and heteronormative ideology one more time. The police brutality against the  participants of a peaceful gathering is a direct violation of the liberties and rights of Turkish  citizens guaranteed by the constitution and legislation. 
Therefore, we, as the United for Istanbul Convention initiative, alarmed in the face of these  negative developments, call the international community to stand in solidarity with LGBTI+  people in Turkey and to take urgent action against these human rights violations and gender based violence.  
 
UNITED4ISTANBULCONVENTION 
https://twitter.com/United4IC 
https://medium.com/@united4istanbulconvention 
https://www.instagram.com/united4istanbulconvention/ 
United4IstanbulConvention@gmail.com