Turkish police, intolerant even to women’s slogans, shot plastic bullets into the crowd and battered and detained several people. The women protested the police violence with the slogan “End male-state violence” and emphasized that they will not leave the streets and the squares.

Women flocked to the Kadıköy Pier Square with the HDK-HDP Istanbul Women’s Assemblies’ call and protested the arrest of HDP MPs with chants and slogans. HDP MPs Pervin Buldan and Hüda Kaya and HDK Co-spokesperson Gülistan Kılıç attended the protest and women’s organisations from EHP, EMEP, Feminist, SODAP, Yeni Demokrat Kadın and more supported the protest. The protest was held under police blockade and women carried banners that had photos of female politicians from HDP and DBP and read “We are here for our will and our future, we are resisting. Long live women’s solidarity” and placards that read “State leave women alone”, “Women of HDP are not alone”. The women’s message was that they won’t let their will to be held hostage.

“WE WON’T BE IN A PARLIAMENT WITHOUT OUR CO-CHAIRS”

The women answered police announcements of “No chants or we intervene” with slogans of “Jin Jiyan Azadî", "Long live women’s solidarity”, “Victory through resistance” and “Bijî Têkoşina Jinan”. Messages sent from prisons by arrested female MPs from HDP and Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Gültan Kışanak were read in the protest and all HDP MPs were named, while the crowd answered “Not alone”. HDP MP Pervin Buldan spoke amidst the women’s chants. Buldan said they gathered for the HDP MPs who were taken hostage and sent her greetings, love and solidarity to the MPs. “They are not arrested, they have been taken hostage,” said Buldan and underlined the political operation carried out against the MPs fighting for peace, fraternity and freedom. Buldan repeated HDP’s decision to stop parliamentary activity and said continuing politics in a parliament where the democratic politics are hindered and the co-chairs were not present was meaningless. “Friends, never worry, one Figen goes, a thousand come in her wake, one Selahattin is imprisoned, a thousand Selahattins emerge,” said Buldan and stated that the struggle will continue in the streets and the squares no matter what. Buldan demanded all MPs held hostage be released.

“WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED, WE WILL DEFEND OUR WILL!”

HDK Co-spokesperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit spoke after Pervin Buldan and said the women’s freedom movement was being forced to surrender with the HDP MPs taken hostage. “All democratic values are trampled in the person of the HDP MPs,” said Koçyiğit and pointed out that the AKP and the Palace who want to change the regime were trying to make the HDP and the women of HDP surrender as they are the largest obstacle on their way. Koçyiğit underlined that they as women won’t be intimidated in the face of this attack, they won’t surrender and they will protect their will until the end.

MEN SUPPORTING WOMEN ARE BATTERED AND DETAINED

Ayşe İğdeğen read the statement for the women’s organizations and emphasized that the female HDP MPs being taken prisoner means the imprisonment of the dreams of all women, their longing for a better and more free life and their hope for peace. İğdeğen said: “We refuse to be erased from the streets and from the parliament to return home, to be shut-in. Us women know the struggle for freedom is the only instruction and we will continue to be joyous and resistant.”

Police attacked the women dispersing after the statement. The police ran rampant in the streets, severely battering and detaining men who supported the women. The police also attacked the press trying to document the protest and shot plastic bullets into the crowd.