Saturday Mothers meeting in Istanbul prevented by police
ISTANBUL
Turkish authorities have banned a protest vigil marking the forced disappearances of hundreds of people in the last decades.
The police officers on the İstiklal Avenue warned groups gathering for the 700th meeting of the Saturday Mothers at Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square on Aug. 25, announcing that the governorship banned the event.
The sit-in was prohibited because the event was publicized on social media with alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), said the statement.
The police used tear gas to disperse protesters who insisted to hold a rally.
Several people were detained by police, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The Saturday Mothers gathered at the same place weekly since 1995 to demand justice for those political activists who disappeared allegedly after being detained by undercover units.