Police prevents Saturday Mothers from gathering, detains 14 people

Police in Turkey prevented on Wednesday a group of families known as Saturday Mothers from reading a statement outside Istanbul courthouse where a hearing was being held against some of the group members.

At least 14 people from the group, who were named after their relentless sit-ins on every Saturday since 1995 were detained including top officials from opposition parties and union members while journalists were beaten by the police.

Human Rights Association (IHD) İstanbul Branch Chair Gulseren Yoleri, Left Party Assembly member Alper Tas and the President of DISK Basin-Is (Confederation of Progressive Unions of Turkey - Press Workers Union) Faruk Eren were among the detained.  

Videos showed plainclothes police officers brutally arresting demonstrators and handcuffing them behind their back. 

Cumartesi Anneleri davası öncesi yapılan açıklamaya müdahalehttps://t.co/ArnaWoqvcX pic.twitter.com/I9H2TiTbN5

— artıgerçek (@artigercek) September 21, 2022

Arti TV reporter Meral Danyildiz was also injured during the police intervention. 

Kollarımı sıka sıka, tırnaklarını gecire gecire, hincla saldırdılar. Bir kisi hincini alamayinca uc kisi birden. Suc duyurusunda bulunacagim. Siz de yargilanacaksiniz. https://t.co/cU1supYPXU pic.twitter.com/aPTbwfapL7

— Meral Danyıldız (@meraldanyildiz) September 21, 2022

Wednesday’s court saw the 5th hearing of a lawsuit against 46 people from the Saturday Mothers which was filed in 2018 after the 700th week of the protest when police intervened using rubber bullets and detained many people.