 Member of Parliament, İris Mozalar, stated: “As a handful of LGBTI+ individuals in the Newroz area, we were physically and verbally lynched by hundreds of people. We were punched and pelted with stones while holding children and babies in our arms. We were booed for hours.”){kind=link}
Yesterday (March 17), LGBTI+ individuals seeking to join Newroz festivities in Istanbul and İzmir, displaying LGBTI+ flags, were subjected to attacks by groups purporting to be Kurdish nationalists.
According to the report of the Bianet; a group of LGBTI+ individuals, attempting to enter the rally area, faced verbal and physical violence from a group within the crowd. Despite intervention by DEM Party officials to disperse the attacking group, the LGBTI+ individuals were forced to leave the rally area. LGBTI+ activist and Turkey Workers’ Party (TİP) Member of Parliament, İris Mozalar, stated: “As a handful of LGBTI+ individuals in the Newroz area, we were physically and verbally lynched by hundreds of people. We were punched and pelted with stones while holding children and babies in our arms. We were booed for hours.”
After the attack, statements were issued by Izmir LGBTI+ Pride Week, Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week, 10th Istanbul Trans Pride Week, Colours of Resistance, Human Rights Association (IHD) LGBTI+ Rights Commission, and the Revolutionary Socialist Workers’ Party.
İzmir LGBTI+ Pride Week: “Today, we persisted in our existence and resistance against nationalist individuals and groups attacking LGBTI+ individuals in Izmir and Istanbul. We are not vulnerable enough to succumb to your hatred and phobic rage, nor are we fragile enough to vanish in the face of your assaults.”
İstanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week and 10th İstanbul Trans Pride Week: “We are among the subjects of the Newroz celebration. We are Kurdish, we are queer, and we here. Despite being forcibly removed from this space, we will defend all our territories against those who seek to expel and attack us.”
İHD LGBTI+ Rights Commission: “We strongly condemn the attacks on LGBTI+ individuals during today’s Newroz celebrations in Istanbul. LGBTI+ people have every right to exist in all facets of life. We urge an immediate cessation of this cycle of violence and call for Newroz celebrations in other cities to proceed without violence.”
Colours of Resistance: “In Istanbul, Izmir, Amed, and beyond, Newroz celebrations, which resonate with the voices of freedom and equality, where the rebellion of all oppressed communities, especially the Kurdish people, converges, are being marred by attacks against LGBTI+ individuals. Despite this, today, tomorrow, and always, we will persist in raising the banner of rebellion with our colors and flags. »
Revolutionary Socialist Workers’ Party: “We strongly condemn the attacks on LGBTI+ individuals participating in the Newroz celebrations in Istanbul and Izmir. These attacks are emblematic of the rising far-right sentiments in Turkey and globally, which perpetuate homophobic and transphobic ideologies. It is utterly unacceptable that individuals who seek freedom and equality, whether Kurdish or allies of the Kurdish community, face harassment, violence, and attacks during a holiday that symbolizes the struggle for equality and freedom. Regrettably, these incidents are not isolated; in previous Newroz celebrations in 2022 and 2023, similar attacks occurred in Diyarbakır, Istanbul, and Izmir. Now, in 2024, the cycle of hate continues in Istanbul and Izmir. Enough is enough! LGBTI+ individuals have the right to exist and participate in all aspects of life, proudly displaying their flags, symbols, and identities.”