RT.com
26 Nov 2021, 05:42 GMT+10
Turkish riot police unleashed tear gas to disperse a large crowd of demonstrators protesting violence against women in Istanbul, as well as the government's withdrawal from an international treaty devoted to combating it.
The massive group of protesters, reportedly numbering in the thousands, marched to Istanbul's Taksim Square on Thursday to mark the 'International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.' They met a heavy police presence in the square, which was barricaded off by officers clad in heavy riot gear, who proceeded to fire tear gas on the crowd after ordering it to disperse.
Scuffles with police were captured in videos circulating online, showing officers moving in on the demonstrators to clear them from the area as tear gas wafts through the air.
Protesters were also seen carrying a colorful assortment of signs and banners, some even toting flares, while others chanted anti-government slogans and demanded an end to what's been dubbed by some activists as 'femicide.' Some 345 women in Turkey have been killed in acts of gender-based violence so far this year, just shy of the 410 reported in 2020, according to 'We Will Stop Femicide,' a women's rights group.
The protest, which was mirrored on a smaller scale in other cities across the country, comes after the Turkish government formally withdrew from an international treaty meant to address violence against women in July. Known as the Istanbul Convention, the pact was originally negotiated in the same city in 2011, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to pull out of the deal has been sharply criticized both by local activists as well as foreign leaders, with US President Joe Biden dubbing the move "deeply disappointing."
Ankara, for its part, claimed the convention had been "hijacked" by "people attempting to normalize homosexuality," which it said was "incompatible with Turkey's social and family values." Nonetheless, the government insisted it would not "give up on its fight against domestic violence" and would "continue protecting the safety and the rights of all women."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Bristol Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Bristol Star.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
(250714) -- CHAMONIX, July 14, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Annie Sanders of the United States competes during the women's lead final of sport...
New Delhi [India], July 14 (ANI): India must stay firm and avoid trading away its core sectors, especially agriculture, despite increasing...
Washington, DC [US], July 14 (ANI): US President Donald Trump is set to make a historic second state visit to the UK, likely in September,...
Abbas urges Hamas to hand over weapons to Palestinian Authority Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday called on Hamas to...
The family of Sayfollah Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old American citizen who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West...
CONCORD, New Hampshire: A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a crucial ruling on July 10 against President Donald Trump's executive...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: A cargo ship flagged under Liberia, known as the Eternity C, sank in the Red Sea following an attack executed by Yemen's...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has started sending some weapons to Ukraine again, just a week after the Pentagon told officials...
ECAULT BEACH, France: On clear days, the white cliffs of the United Kingdom, are visible from northern France, where men, women, and...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...