28 Jun, 2015 15:18

Police fire water cannon & rubber bullets at gay pride Istanbul parade (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Turkish police fired water cannon and rubber bullets at people gathered for the annual gay pride parade in central Istanbul, Reuters reported, citing its journalists there. Images of the dispersed LGBT crowd also emerged on social media.

Authorities have warned people gathered for the parade to clear the area, informing them they won’t be allowed to march, Reuters reported, citing Turkey's Dogan news agency.

The police tried to stop the crowd gathering near Taksim Square, a Reuters cameraman who was at the scene, said. The location is a favored spot not only for local demonstrators, but also for tourists.

Polis tazyikli suyla, plastik mermilerle saldırmaya devam ediyor #OnurYürüyüşü http://t.co/gXRXe7RC6a pic.twitter.com/XAqxrEh8UO
— Yarın (@yarinhaber) June 28, 2015

The police tried to stop the crowd gathering near Taksim Square, a Reuters cameraman who was at the scene, said. The location is a favored spot not only for local demonstrators, but also for tourists.

Plainclothes police officers disperse LGBT rights activists before a Gay Pride Parade in central Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2015.(Reuters / Huseyin Aldemir)

The organizers of the annual event, the Istanbul LGBT Pride Committee said on Facebook the rally had been banned by the authorities, who cited the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as the reason.

Şerefsiz Polis yerde savunmasız yatan insanlara Plastik Mermi sıkıyor..
#OnurYürüyüşü https://t.co/rKDviqyGwa
— Tractatus (@ttractatus) June 28, 2015

"The 13th Istanbul LGBTI Pride Parade scheduled to take place at 17:00 in Taksim has suddenly been banned by the Governorate using the month of Ramadan as the reasoning without any announcement," its Facebook post said, adding that the organizers are calling for Istanbul’s authorities "to immediately cease attacks and to make a public statement."

Unlike in other Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey and gay parades have been held in Turkey’s biggest city before. The first gay pride parade was held in Turkey in 2003, the Hurriyet Daily News reported. Just 30 people attended that event, but the number soared to some 50,000 in 2013.