German MP claims he was 'violently arrested' during Istanbul gay pride protest
Gay rights activists were arrested and had passports taken by police using tear gas
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Your support makes all the difference.A German MP and gay rights activist claims he was violently arrested by Turkish police while attending a protest rally at the close of Gay Pride Week.
Volker Beck, a prominent member of Germany’s Green Party, says he was shoved by officers and had his passport taken while trying to prevent the arrest of a fellow activist in Istanbul.
The gay pride march was banned by the city’s governor but organisers decided to go ahead with a public speech, which was strongly critical of the Turkish government according to The Local.
Police made 29 arrests in all, including Green party MEP Terry Reintke and speaker Felix Banaszak who were briefly detained before being released on Sunday evening.
Beck says he was aggressively hauled away from the scene and blocked off from his fellow protestors.
The MP claimed there was no justification for the way the protesters were treated by officers, saying: “They ripped my passport away from me and pushed me around. It was a massive and arbitrary police attack that we saw.
“This is simply not acceptable for a coorperation and for close friendship”, he continued, referring to the efforts of the EU to work with Ankara.
Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the banned gay rights event, which officials said had been cancelled due to “security concerns”.
Last year’s scheduled march, which again coincided with Ramadan festival, was also cancelled.
In March, Beck was arrested for possession of crystal meth in Berlin, after which he gave up all his senior positions within the Green Party except his seat in the Bundestag.
The Independent has contacted Istanbul Police for comment.
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