Police block leftist youth groups' press statement, detain members in Istanbul
Istanbul police violently detained around 40 members of a pro-Kurdish youth union involving pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) Youth Assembly, Mesopotamia Agency reported on Oct. 25. Police claimed that a banner held up by demonstrators was criminal on the grounds that it displayed a photo of İbrahim Kaypakkaya, a deceased Turkish leftist.
Duvar English
A group of youth organizations, including Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) Youth Assembly, were blocked from reading a press statement in Istanbul's Kadıköy and detained violently by police, Mesopotamia Agency reported on Oct. 25.
Joined by New Democrat Youth (YDG) and Revolutionary Students Union-Youth Revolutionary Forces (DEV-GÜÇ), the HDP Youth Assembly wanted to read a press statement about the United Youth Assembly they will establish on Nov. 15.
The group held up a banner that read "We march against fascism together for our union," which police asked to be removed on the grounds that it presented a criminal element for displaying a photo of İbrahim Kaypakkaya, a deceased Turkish leftist.
HDP deputy Musa Piroğlu, who was accompanying the youth organizations, spoke to police to de-escalate the situation, but police proceeded to batter and detain around 40 demonstrators.
Deputy Piroğlu came back with a group of 10 demonstrators to read the press statement, being battered and detained by police as well.
The youth organization members were released later in the day.