Red Umbrella Protests Violence Against Sex Workers

Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association protested the violence inflicted on a woman and a man for sex work on Thursday, July 17 in Istanbul’s Sarıgazi province.

A group belonging to the People’s Front [Halk Cephesi] had on Sarıgazi Demokrasi Avenue on July 17 circa 10:30 pm exerted violence on a woman and a man for being sex workers, according to the news item on Halkınsesitv.

The association emphasized in their declaration that sex workers are stuck in a cycle of discrimination and violence and undergo oppression by the government and certain segments of society. “In addition to the dominant system coming down on us with morality, honor, family values, general heath, national and spiritual values and other similar arguments, many groups and organizations projecting themselves as ‘progressive’ and claiming to defend downtrodden social groups target sex workers as well,” they stated.

“We have been witnessing as the Red Umbrella that state violence and the violence of those who committed these acts are the same, and operate on the same discourses,” declared the association, and expressed they find themselves under attack on grounds such as “protecting the community’s general moral structure against prostitution.”

"We don’t need to be saved"

“We don’t need your two-faced politics. We don’t need to be saved. Your attacks at us claiming prostitution is a form of violence or ‘immorality’ are themselves the greatest form of violence.

“We don’t want you, your morality, or your ideologies! Do not politicize on our behalf, or use our names! Only we have a say on our existence, our profession, and our bodies!”

HDK Women’s Parliament reacts

The Peoples’ Democratic Congress Women’s Parliament also protested the event through their Twitter account. (EA)

TWEET: We as the HDP HDK Women’s Parliaments condemn the Front for its anti-prostitution campaigns and patriarchal violence against women!

Click here to read this article in Turkish.