Police fired tear gas to disperse activists (Picture: Getty; AP)

Turkish police fired tear gas at protesters gathered for an LGBT pride march banned for the fifth year in a row.

The activists had gathered in Istanbul to promote rights for gay and transgender people.

The rally on a side street to Istanbul’s main pedestrian avenue drew at least several hundred people on Sunday, who cheered and waved rainbow flags.

Istanbul Pride organisers said the city’s governor’s office banned the march from central Taksim district as well as a square designated for demonstrations west of the city.


Police allowed representatives to make a short statement to the media before officers dispersed the crowd with tear gas, blocking the street. Police dogs were also at the scene.



The Istanbul Pride group said it would continue activism to get sexual orientation and gender identity recognised in Turkish laws.

The sign reads ‘We are strong together’ (Picture: EPA)

Members of the LGBTQ+ community participate in a march as Turkish police block their way (Picture: Getty)

Hundreds of people rallied close to the popular Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square (Picture: Getty)

People celebrate on the street in central Istanbul, during the Pride march event in Istanbul (Picture: AP)

The annual Pride march in Istanbul has been banned since 2015 (Picture: EPA)

People run to avoid the effects of tear gas fired by police to disperse activists (Picture: AP)

Amnesty International had urged Turkey to lift the ‘arbitrary ban’ on the pride march.

It said authorities rejected all suggested locations in the city by deeming the LGBT community ‘societally objectionable’.

Istanbul had up to 100,000 people attend a pride march in 2014 but police have blocked such marches since.

Turkish police prepare to move to disperse activists (Picture: AP)

It’s the fifth year the event has been banned (Picture: AP)

An activist is detained by police at the march (Picture: Getty)

People celebrate on the street during a Pride march event was banned by authorities (Picture: AP)

Though homosexuality has been legal in Turkey for decades, rights groups say discrimination is widespread.

The new mayor of Istanbul told a group of international journalists on Friday that any group should be free to demonstrate as long as protests do not disturb the peace.

Ekrem Imamoglu said he would discuss the reasons for the ban with relevant authorities.

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