Thousands of women demonstrate in Istanbul - police use pepper spray

Despite a massive police presence, thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Istanbul to mark International Women's Day. "We are not silent, we are not afraid, we do not obey," the women chanted in downtown Istanbul on Wednesday. Slogans critical of the government could also be heard. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of the government. A large banner at the head of the march read: "We are angry, we mourn, we are feminist rebellion."

Riot police used pepper spray against the participants in the demonstration and prevented them from marching through the center of the metropolis.

After the earthquake in south-east Turkey about a month ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was accused of, among other things, a lack of crisis management. The quake was also an issue at the protest: The organizers held up a poster with the inscription: "We are angry, we are in mourning - feminist resistance."

The governor had previously banned protests in the city center and only designated outlying places as places to gather. The police cordoned off the streets around the central Taksim Square in the afternoon, trying to prevent women from gathering.

There were also protests in other Turkish cities such as the capital Ankara and the coastal city of Izmir.

Violence against women is a widespread problem in Turkey as in other countries. According to the platform “We want to stop the murder of women”, 396 femicides were committed last year – statistically, at least one woman was murdered every day.