Fistfight breaks out at Ankara Bar Association General Assembly: One lawyer injured

Tensions flared at the 68th Ordinary General Assembly of the Ankara Bar Association, held at the Atatürk Indoor Sports and Exhibition Hall, which is scheduled to last for two days.

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A brawl broke out at the 68th Ordinary General Assembly of the Ankara Bar Association after the Turkish Nationalist Lawyers Group reacted to lawyers from the Libertarian Contemporary Lawyers group who were chanting slogans in Kurdish to protest femicides. During the fight, in which chairs were thrown, one lawyer was slightly injured in the head.

"WE DO NOT WANT TERRORISTS IN THE BAR"

Female lawyers who are members of the Libertarian Contemporary Lawyers (ÖÇAV) group unfurled a banner reading "Jin, jiyan, azadi" (Woman, life, freedom) and "The Istanbul Convention saves lives" to protest the recent surge in violence against women and femicides, while chanting, "Jin, jiyan, azadi," "Woman, life, freedom," and "We are not silent, we are not afraid, we do not obey."

Following this, lawyers identified as being from the Turkish Nationalist Lawyers Group responded with chants of "We do not want terrorists in the Bar." As tensions escalated due to the verbal exchange, chairs were thrown. During the incident, one lawyer was slightly injured in the head.

Lawyers in the hall who reacted to the incident chanted "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism" for a while. Announcements were made from time to time to end the tension, but as the incident did not subside, the meeting was adjourned for 20 minutes.

The General Assembly continued after the break.