Istanbul police disrupt, disperse gathering of Saturday Mothers

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Istanbul police clashed with a group of activists and families of missing people on Saturday after they were prevented from holding a weekly sit-in protest.

Saturday Mothers and a group of activists, lawyers, and MPs have been taking to the streets every Saturday for two decades demanding the whereabouts of their loved ones who went missing during Turkey’s military period of the 1980-1990s.

Police used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. At least 10 activists were detained and a number of others injured.

Today’s sit-in marked their 700th sit-in since their first one in 1994.

They held red carnations and the photographs of their missing loved ones.

The families and activities were told by the police that they were prevented from their traditional gathering on orders from interior ministry.

Pervin Buldan, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), joined the activists and called for the continuation of the Saturday sit-ins.

“Every Saturday children and their IDs are being inspected at Galatasaray square. We are righteous and will continue coming here.”