Radiohead fans assaulted in Istanbul for ‘drinking alcohol’ during Ramadan

ISTANBUL





A group of 20 assailants carrying sticks and bottles attacked a record store in central Istanbul on June 17, beating up store owners and Radiohead fans who were at a listening party of the band’s new album, A Moon Shaped Pool.Radiohead fans at the Velvet IndieGround record store, owned by South Korean man Seogu Lee, were listening to music and drinking alcohol when a group of men burst into the store and confronted them.“Do not you feel ashamed [of drinking alcohol] in Ramadan?” one of the assailants said while also threatening to set alight the patrons and burn the store down.One of the fans was injured after being hit with a bottle, as the footage was live-streamed on Periscope.The record store was also vandalized.Radiohead issued a statement condemning the attack.“Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet IndieGround in Istanbul. We hope that someday we will be able to look back on such acts of violent intolerance as things of the ancient past. For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support,” the band said in a statement.Police detained three suspects over the attack on June 18 but freed one of them.The other two suspects, who were transferred to court, were also later released on June 19.Around 300 people gathered in the Firuzağa square in the Cihangir neighborhood on June 18 to protest the attack. Police used water cannons and teargas to disperse them.