Charges against police who used force on feminist dance ‘Las Tesis’ group dropped

Mesut Hasan Benli - ANKARA

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has dropped charges against police officers who used physical force on a group of women who performed the “Las Tesis” dance last year to draw attention to growing femicide in Turkey.

The prosecutors said “no crime or element of crime” had been found in their decision.

On Dec. 12, 2019, a group of women from the Ankara Women’s Platform had gathered to perform the “Las Tesis” dance in the Kızılay district of Ankara.

Police said they were not permitted to protest and that the dance was not considered “free speech or freedom to gather.”

The prosecutors said the intervention was carried out legally.

Las Tesis is the name of a Chilean feminist theater troupe. The song, written by Las Tesis, named “Un Violador en Tu Camino,” which means “The Rapist In Your Path” in English, rapidly became a feminist anthem across the globe.

Since February, large groups of women in 52 countries have danced to the song and drawn attention to violence against women.