The Saturday Mothers, a group of activists seeking justice for their missing relatives, were once again met with police violence as they attempted to gather in Istanbul’s Galatasaray Square on Saturday.
This marks the eighth consecutive week that the police have prevented the group from exercising their right to protest, despite a Constitutional Court ruling that declared the ban on sit-in demonstrations as a violation of their rights.
For nearly three decades, the Saturday Mothers have been staging sit-in protests in Galatasaray Square, demanding information about their loved ones who disappeared while in custody and calling for the prosecution of those responsible. This week would have marked their 949th week of peaceful demonstrations.
Due to the ongoing police suppression, the Saturday Mothers have adjusted their approach. Instead of sit-ins, they have been holding press statements and leaving carnations in the square as a symbol of remembrance. However, even this modified form of protest has been met with a heavy-handed response from law enforcement. The Saturdays Mothers had their hands cuffed behind their backs as they were detained this week.
