Turkish police fired water cannon and rubber pellets to disperse a gay pride parade in central Istanbul on Sunday, after organizers said they had been refused permission to march this year because of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Police sprayed jets of water from trucks at crowds of hundreds who had gathered — many in colorful clothing and waving rainbow flags — near the central Taksim Square neighborhood, one of Istanbul's busiest shopping and tourist areas.
As the crowds fell back, men who appeared to be plainclothes police officers detained several demonstrators, according to footage from a Reuters cameraman at the scene.