Sawt Falasteen - In Istanbul, despite ban, thousands march for Women's Day

Although the authorities shut several nearby metro stations and issued a ban on demonstrations, the Feminist Night March was allowed to go ahead. Huge crowds of women, many dressed in purple, chanted slogans and blew whistles.

The demonstrators packed the streets of Cihangir district, some carrying parasols garlanded in fairy lights, others waving a sea of colourful banners with slogans such as: "Kurdish for Women, life, freedom", "Femicides are political!" or even "My favourite season is the fall of the patriarchy".

There were cheers, dancing and purple flares at the end as organisers read out a statement of support for women affected by the Middle East war.

"In these times when the world is being turned upside down, we remind each other that we must not succumb to this darkness, become accustomed to despair, or accept the order created by men," it said.

"While resisting Islamist dictatorial regimes on the one hand, we join our voices with women who -- in the face of US and Israeli aggression -- are saying: Our freedom will not come from you."

- 'I don't feel safe' -

Dilan Aydemir, a 25-year-old student, said she was there to stand against the exploitation, violence and poverty suffered by women.

"I don't feel safe, nor do any of my friends," she told AFP.

"The only thing that will make us feel safe is the struggle we wage together," she added. Marches like this one were "very precious to us because we draw strength from one another".

She also spoke of a landmark 2011 international treaty aimed at preventing and prosecuting violence against women, which Turkey was the first to sign but then pulled out of a decade later.

Since Turkey pulled out of the convention, incidents of gender violence have risen in Turkey, say women's rights groups.

"To stand against harassment, violence and poverty, the Istanbul Convention must be signed again," said Aydemir.

Benan Koyuncu, a 40-year-old doctor, said she was marching for some of the women she treated, victims of beating or attacks.

"I work in the emergency room and often deal with women who have been subjected to violence," she said. "I'm here for them.

"It's not like it was 10 or 20 years ago, women have won many rights through struggle," she added.

"They fought against male domination, against the patriarchy, and they are winning in the streets. And we will win, I trust this crowd," she said.

Several thousand women also gathered on the Asian side of Istanbul during the day, and demonstrations took place in nine other cities across Turkey, organisers said.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST