WATCH - Turkish Police Fire Paintballs At Gay Pride Parade...
Turkish riot police deployed crowd-control munitions to disperse demonstrators who participated in a banned Pride march in Istanbul, amid a crackdown on LGBTQ activism in the socially conservative Mediterranean nation.
Around 20 people, including a photojournalist, were arrested, according to media reports. Homosexuality is legal in Turkey, but the country’s conservative ruling party, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly hostile towards LGBTQ rights. Officials in the country have been wary of signing off on Pride events, citing security concerns.
However, Ankara’s opposition to LGBTQ rights has further strained its tenuous relationship with the European Union, complicating Turkey’s bid to join the bloc...
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