BY: DM
Published 6 days ago
Istanbul Pride showed up and showed out — until the police rolled through. On June 29, Turkish authorities arrested dozens of LGBTQIA+ activists and allies during the 2025 Istanbul Pride March, despite organizers insisting it would be peaceful. The arrests come amid a decade-long government clampdown on LGBTQIA+ visibility. Istanbul Pride was once a festive march drawing tens of thousands.
Since 2015, authorities have repeatedly banned Pride celebrations, labeling them threats to “public order.” Security forces have stormed Pride gatherings with water cannons, tear gas, and brute force — breaking up marches and beating protesters without hesitation. While Turkey never outlawed homosexuality, LGBTQIA+ people face growing hostility and pressure just for existing.
Still, the community showed up. Protesters filled the streets, waving rainbow flags, chanting for equality, and calling out the government’s relentless attacks on queer and trans lives. Despite the official ban, the march went on. Police made arrests, but Turkey’s LGBTQIA+ community refused to back down.
Over 50 people were arrested at Istanbul Pride 2025.
Riot police flooded central Istanbul on Sunday, blocking Pride events and detaining dozens of demonstrators. Organizers pushed forward despite the official ban, and lawmaker Kezban Konukcu confirmed that authorities took at least 30 people into custody, according to Reuters. LGBTQIA+ media outlets and rights groups reported even higher numbers — KaosGL’s editor-in-chief said police detained 54 participants, including six lawyers and several journalists, per ABC News. Those arrested spent the night in custody. By Monday, courts had released 50 under judicial control and formally jailed three others following hearings.
Police flooded the area, shutting down transit lines and blocking off Taksim and Ortaköy. Officers in riot gear arrested people in the streets, according to AFP journalists on the ground (via France 24). Reuters reported that footage captured police clashing with activists waving rainbow flags before forcing them into police vans.
Turkish officials justified the crackdown by reiterating that Pride gatherings are unlawful. “These calls, which undermine social peace, family structure, and moral values, are prohibited,” Istanbul’s governor, Davut Gül, tweeted (via The Guardian). “No gathering or march that threatens public order will be tolerated.”
Some of the people arrested have been released from custody.
Istanbul Pride 2025 organizers moved their gathering point several times as police swarmed key areas across the city. A “heavy police presence” shut down known Pride hot spots, forcing marchers to stay on the move. Reuters obtained videos and photos from the event, which show officers in helmets and wielding batons, chasing protesters and grabbing outstretched hands. AFP correspondents spotted security lines forming along the Bosphorus shore near Ortaköy, where police detained marchers as soon as the event kicked off.
By nightfall, authorities had released some of the detained, according to The Washington Times. Legal experts, human rights advocates, and LGBTQIA+ groups quickly condemned the arrests. The Istanbul Bar Association’s Human Rights Centre slammed the detentions, calling them “arbitrary, unjust, and illegal.”
Istanbul Pride 2025’s scene went far beyond protest — it was outright defiance. Between chants and clashes with police, people danced in the streets. Drag queens served looks. Trans women held hands in defiance. And allies came through with water, hugs, and unwavering support.
Do you think the international community is doing enough to support LGBTQIA+ people in Turkey? Comment below!
