Turkey's Kadıköy District Governor's Office banned protests that were taking place in Istanbul to oppose the arrests of Şebnem Korur Fincancı, a forensic physician and human rights defender and 12 Kurdish journalists.

The footage, filmed yesterday (October 26), shows people taking to the streets, chanting and clashing with the Turkish police.

At least 30 protesters were detained in yesterday's protests. It has been reported that journalists who were filming and taking photographs of the demonstration were hit by the police.

Protesters, mainly belonging to the groups "Women Together Strong" and "Istanbul Labor Peace", took to the streets of Istanbul's neighborhood of
Kadıköy in solidarity with Şebnem Korur Fincancı and 12 Kurdish journalists who were arrested by anti-terror police officers the day before.

Human rights groups believe that Fincanci's arrest is linked to a statement she made during a conference about allegations of the alleged use of chemical weapons by Turkey in Kurdistan. Fincanci is a well-known forensic physician and was one of the authors of the UN Istanbul Protocol.

The 12 Kurdish journalists were arrested as part of an anti-terror investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Turkey's use of anti-terror laws to crack down on journalists, political opponents, and activists has been widely criticised over the past years by international human rights groups and western governments.

This footage was filmed and produced 26 October 2022.

Protest actions that were intended to be held in Kadıköy in solidarity with Şebnem Korur Fincancı and the 12 Kurdish journalists detained the previous day were banned by the Kadıköy District Governor's Office. The police intervened harshly in the protests that were carried out by the 'Women Together Strong' group and the Istanbul Labor Peace and Democracy Forces. Over 30 protesters were detained. The police also tried to remove the journalists who were trying to take pictures by beating them.