AMBASSADOR/TURKEY: “Protesters were forcibly ejected from a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York City on Thursday [9-22-17], in the latest U.S. confrontation involving protests against Turkey’s leader.
Erdogan was speaking to an audience at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square when, as the AP reports, someone shouted ‘Terrorist!’
As shouting continued and security personnel grappled with protesters, Erdogan paused onstage before blaming the interruption on ‘a few impertinent hall terrorists.’
The protesters were eventually forced out of the event — but not before being roughed up.
The violence was captured on video by people who were at the event as well as news agencies that were covering Erdogan’s speech. Footage posted by Voice of America’s Turkish agency shows groups of men in suits forcing people out of the hall — and in at least two cases, protesters were hit in the head while being held…
Erdogan has been in New York to attend this week’s session of the U.N. General Assembly. He was speaking Thursday at an event held by the Turkish American National Steering Committee…
When Erdogan visited Washington, D.C., in May, protesters gathered at the ambassador’s residence, and the situation devolved into an altercation with the Turkish leader’s bodyguards — who were seen on video pushing past D.C. police to attack protesters, nine of whom were left injured.
In June, Washington’s Metropolitan Police issued 18 arrest warrants over the incident. The list of suspects included 12 Turkish security officials.”
-Bill Chappell, “Erdogan Speech Triggers Physical Confrontations At Turkish-American Event In NYC,” NPR, Sept. 22, 2017 12:18pm