On June 14, 2023, police forcibly detained five Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) students for organizing an on-campus picnic celebrating pride month. The students are members of Colors of Resistance, a pro-LGBTQ+ student initiative.

Police reportedly followed a public bus that students took to campus. Once the students arrived, police detained them to prevent the group from holding the picnic. In a Twitter video, students are seen being shoved into a van. It is unclear exactly how long the students were detained, however, they were released that same day.

After the students were released, Colors of Resistance was able to hold the picnic at a new location.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the detention of students peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly on-campus – conduct that is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Turkey is a party. State authorities have a responsibility to refrain from interfering in the peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom, freedom of expression, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://m.bianet.org/bianet/lgbti/280323-izmir-de-onur-piknigi-ne-saldiri-5-gozalti
https://kaosgl.org/haber/izmir-polisi-onur-piknigi-avinda
https://www.unikuir.org/haberler/izmir-39-de-bugun-yine-lgbti-ogrenciler-gozaltina-alindi-14-06-2023
https://twitter.com/DirenisinR/status/1668926090557964290