Protesters Beaten During Erdogan's Speech in New York

Several protesters who shouted against Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, during his speech in New York on Thursday, were beaten and thrown out of the venue. "Voice of America" released a video of the event showing the protesters being assaulted and removed from the speech hall. According to the Associated Press, the speech took place at the "Marriott Marquis" hotel in Times Square, New York City. Following the increase in chants, Erdogan addressed the attendees, saying, "Dear friends, do not let this beautiful gathering be disrupted by a few arrogant terrorists." Subsequently, men in suits removed the protesters from the hall. The U.S. State Department has stated that it is unclear whether the men who removed the protesters were American officials or personal bodyguards, but it appears that Turkish security personnel did not play a role in dealing with the protesters. During Erdogan's previous visit to the U.S. in May of this year, a clash occurred outside the Turkish embassy in Washington. Initial reports indicated that some of Erdogan's accompanying security forces attacked a group of protesters against his policies. Eleven people were injured during the clashes, which the Washington police described as a "violent attack on a peaceful protest," and a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that the U.S. government had expressed its concerns to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms. The District Attorney's Office of Columbia (Washington) officially charged 16 people, including Turkish security personnel, and on September 7 of this year, a new indictment was issued for three more individuals. In this context, an indictment for 19 people related to the clashes outside the Turkish embassy in the U.S. has been issued, along with new actions to bring charges against Erdogan's guards during the Washington clashes, and arrest warrants for 12 of Erdogan's bodyguards in the U.S. have been issued.