Officers break up anti-police brutality protest in Istanbul amid outcry over George Floyd killing

Officers break up anti-police brutality protest in Istanbul amid outcry over George Floyd killing
Some of the anti-police violence activists in Istanbul, Turkey were seen carrying a poster of George Floyd.
1 min read
03 June, 2020
Turkish leftist demonstrators clash with police as groups gather in support of US protesters [AFP/Getty]

Police in Istanbul have dispersed a small group of demonstrators who gathered in the Turkish city to denounce police violence and to stand in solidarity with protesters in the United States. At least 29 demonstrators were detained, Turkey's state-run agency reported.

Anadolu Agency said riot police broke up the demonstration in Istanbul´s Kadikoy district late Tuesday after the group of about 50 activists ignored calls to disperse.

Some of the anti-police violence activists were seen carrying a poster of George Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd's neck while the handcuffed black man called out that he couldn't breathe.

Floyd's death on May 25 sparked protests that spread across the US and beyond.

Protests sparked by Floyd's killing by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have raged across the United States for a week and President Donald Trump has ordered the military to intervene.

Read more: Trump brutalises black lives with racist 'law and order' war

Turkish authorities frequently impose bans on public demonstrations or gatherings on security grounds. Human rights groups often accuse police of using disproportionate force to break up demonstrations.

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