Istanbul Pride march to go on despite governor's ban

June 25, 2017 at 6:54 a.m. | Updated June 25, 2017 at 7:00 a.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this Sunday, June 28, 2015 file photo, participants of a Pride Week event in Istanbul, chant slogans after police used a water canon to disperse them. For several years, Pride Week in Istanbul attracted tens of thousands of participants, making it one of largest gatherings celebrating gay, lesbian and transgender rights and diversity in the Muslim world. That changed suddenly in 2015, when authorities, citing security concerns, banned gay and trans-gender pride events chasing away shocked participants trying to converge on central Taksim Square with tear gas and water cannons. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, June 28, 2015 file photo, participants of a Pride Week event in Istanbul, chant slogans after police used a water canon to disperse them. For several years, Pride Week in Istanbul attracted tens of thousands of participants, making it one of largest gatherings celebrating gay, lesbian and transgender rights and diversity in the Muslim world. That changed suddenly in 2015, when authorities, citing security concerns, banned gay and trans-gender pride events chasing away shocked participants trying to converge on central Taksim Square with tear gas and water cannons. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)

ISTANBUL (AP) - Activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights say they will march for Pride in Istanbul, despite a ban by the governor's office.

Organizers of the 2017 Istanbul LGBTI Pride said Sunday the gathering would begin at 5 p.m. (14:00 GMT) in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for "we march."

The Istanbul governor's office on Saturday banned the event - for the third year in a row - citing safety and public order fears. The statement also said the governor's office had not received a valid parade application - a claim rejected by organizers.

For more than a decade, Turkish authorities allowed Pride marches to take place. Up to 100,000 people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014 but Turkish police dispersed Pride crowds in 2015 and 2016 using riot-control methods.

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