Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the LGBTQ movement in the country of “vandalism” on Monday after a series of student protests in support of the community. 

During a rally at the Bogazici University in Istanbul, at least four people were arrested by Turkish law enforcement for “vandalising” the holy Islamic site with the symbolic LGBT rainbow flags.

Sometime after the President gave an address, where he lashed out on the protesters, a follow-up rally was carried out at the same educational institution. Videos posted on social media show the peacefully protesting students being forcefully dragged away by the police with dozens being detained. 

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“We will carry our young people to the future, not as the LGBT youth, but as the youth that existed in our nation’s glorious past,” Erdogan said during a video linkup with members of his ruling AK Party.

In a video linkup with members of the ruling party, the President said, “We will carry our young people to the future, not as the LGBT youth, but as the youth that existed in our nation’s glorious past. You are not the LGBT youth, not the youth who commit acts of vandalism. On the contrary, you are the ones who repair broken hearts.”

With homosexuality being within the boundaries of Turkish law but increasing cases of harassment against the members of the community have often been blamed on the President with accusations like “damaging Turkey’s secularism” and being “overly conservative” by Human Rights groups. 

Turkey was hit by a wave of student protests last month after Erdogan appointed a loyalist as the head of Bogazici University.

During a protest last week, the demonstrators hung an artwork in front of the new head’s office which represented the LGBT movement through its symbolic rainbow flag at a holy Islamic site. 

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Turkish law enforcement arrested four protesters, who were labeled as “LGBT freaks” by the Turkish Interior Minister. Two of the accused have been placed under house arrest while the remaining are in custody. 

Groups of students once again demonstrated at Bogazici University on Monday despite the presence of hundreds of riot police, demanding the four be freed and the rector stand down.

Erdogan last month accused some of those taking part in the student demonstrations of being “terrorists”.