Istanbul Pride march to go on despite governor's ban
Activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights said they will march for LGBT pride in Istanbul on Sunday, despite a ban by the governor.
Organizers of the 2017 Istanbul LGBTI Pride called for the gathering to begin at 5 pm (14:00 GMT) in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for "we march."
The Istanbul governor's office on Saturday banned the event—for the third year in a row—citing reasons of safety and public order. The statement also said the governor's office had not received a valid parade application, a claim rejected by organizers. Police barricades, riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area Sunday afternoon and a helicopter buzzed overhead.
