The governor of Istanbul has banned this year’s Pride parade in Istanbul and has had the city centre cordoned off. The event will not be authorized, the governor’s office announced on Sunday without giving a reason. “Illegal groups” had called for an unauthorized protest march, it simply said. The area around the central Taksim Square had been closed to vehicle traffic, and pedestrian traffic was being controlled. The police had already erected barriers in the centre the previous evening. Activists had called for the demonstration in favour of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender …