ISTANBUL - Saturday Mothers made their 900th demonstration in Galatasaray Square to ask the whereabouts of their relatives disappeared in custody and for the punishment of the perpetrators. The police, who blocked the streets with barriers, detained many of the protesters.

 

Saturday Mothers are carrying out the 900th of their weekly demonstrations in Galatasaray Square to ask the whereabouts of their relatives disappeared in custody and demand the perpetrators to be punished. Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin and Öztürk Türkdoğan, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul MPs Züleyha Gülüm, Zeynel Özen, Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul MP Ali Şeker, Turkish Workers Party (TİP) Istanbul MP Ahmet Şık and a large number of people attended the demonstration.

 

STREETS ARE CLOSED WITH BARRIERS

 

Before the demonstration, many streets leading to Galatasaray Square and Istiklal Street were blocked by hundreds of police with armored vehicles, police vehicles and barricades. Before the reading of the statement, the police told the crowd gathered in a cafe close to Galatasaray Square that they are not allow to do the demonstration, citing the ban reason of the Beyoğlu District Governor's Office. The crowd noted that they would do out the demonstration despite the ban.

 

The crowd who started to walk to the square with photographs of their lost relatives and flowers in their hands was stopped by the police. The police detained scores of protesters who insisted on the demonstration.

 

JOURNALISTS BATTERED

 

Journalists Pınar Gayıp, Zeynep Kuray, Eylem Nazlıer and Fatoş Erdoğan was battered by the police.