Advocating the rights of the Uyghur community, several activists from the Union of International East Turkistan NGOs on Thursday infiltrated a volleyball stadium in Turkey and disrupted the scheduled game between China and Italy, local media reported.
The activists from the Union of International East Turkistan NGOs were demonstrating against China’s participation in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League being held in Ankara Stadium in Turkey.
However, the local authorities prevented the activists from disrupting the game, and Italy won the game by 3-1. Recently, a series of demonstrations and events were held around Turkey.
Several human rights activists around the world have been staging protests against China’s atrocities against Uyghurs, especially in July commemorating the 13th anniversary of the Urumqi massacre, which occurred on July 5, 2009, in Xinjiang, a painful memory for the Uyghur diaspora.
On July 5, the Union of International East Turkistan NGOs and Uyghur Academy Foundation organized a day-long protest at Ulus Square, Ankara, which saw the participation of over 150 people.
The event highlighting the anger against the Chinese government for the heinous Urumqi massacre in 2009 was attended by leaders of Turkey’s political parties.
Good Party Vice President Ridvan Uz and Future Party Vice President Hakverdi Altug attended the event. This was not an isolated protest in Turkey as earlier Islamic scholars and intellectuals had gathered in Istanbul in mid-June for an international conference to highlight the Uyghur genocide and to support their struggle with the Chinese Communist Party.
The Center for Uyghur Studies provides strategic policy recommendations and presents research reports to interfaith entities, related international organizations and governments on the people of East Turkistan/Xinjiang.
