Students of Dicle University rise against against harassment
DİYARBAKIR (DİHA) - After two women students were harassed at Diyarbakır's Dicle University last night, hundreds of women students gathered to march throughout the night, in spite of police repression.
Two women students were leaving their evening classes to walk to the Selahattin Eyyubi Women's Dormitory last night when two people in a car pulled up alongside them and shouted harassment at them, then pulled over and started physically harassing the women. The two women screamed and ran for the car, at which point the harassers fled without being apprehended.
Hundreds of students coming out of their evening classes started gathering outside the dormitory, shouting, "Dicle, don't sleep, stand up for your students" and denouncing the state for protecting sexual attackers. At this point, police surrounded the mostly female crowd, blocking their attempt to march, setting up a barricade at the entrance to the university and briefly intervening against the marchers.
'We'll resist the attacks based on self-defense'
"Killer cops off campus," chanted the students, starting a sit-in. Finally, after police closed off the road to the university rector's office, the women marched from the campus into the city of Diyarbakır's Seikh Said Square late last night.
Neşe Aydemir made an expanation on behalf of hundreds of students. She condemned the attitude of police and added, "We, as women, will resist the attacks based on self-defense. If the officials cannot find a solution for this matter, we will enhance our struggle more."
HDP Diyarbakır MP Nursel Aydoğan also joined the march of students. Aydoğan reminded that similar attacks took place before and underlined, "The responsible one is the administration of university which has not taken the required measures".
Harasser detained
The harasser was taken into custody, the police officials told the HDP executives. The sudden mobilization against harassment is expected to continue today.
(cm/nt)
