Turkey Bans Istanbul Gay Pride Parade

Turkish authorities have banned the annual Gay Pride parade set to take place in Istanbul on Sunday over “safety concerns.” “There will be no permission for a demonstration or a march on the said date considering the safety of tourists in the area... and public order,” the Istanbul governor’s office said Saturday. Organizers of the event had sought permission to hold it in the city’s Taksim Square at 5 p.m. on Sunday, and there have been calls to hold the event in spite of the ban. But authorities on Saturday cautioned against this. Permission for last year’s march was also denied, and those who defied the city’s order were met with tear gas and rubber bullets.