A peaceful protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC turned violent on Tuesday when Turkish residence bodyguards launched an unprovoked attack on the protesters.
The protesters were demonstrating outside the Embassy residence where Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stayed after visiting President Donald Trump at the White House.
Shocking video released by the BBC shows President Erdogan’s personal bodyguards rushing across the street to attack the protesters.
Erdogan’s security detail punched, kicked and stomped protesters who were mostly members of the Turkish community in Washington.
D.C. police waded into the scrum to break up the melee. One officer yelled, “You know better than that!” While another officer shoved a bodyguard toward the embassy, yelling, “Get back over there! You’re done!”
11 people and 1 officer were injured in the melee. None of the Turkish bodyguards were arrested because they have diplomatic immunity.
President Erdogan was inside the residence when the bodyguards attacked the protesters.
The protesters were demonstrating against the U.S. support of Kurdish fighters who are killing thousands of men, women and children in Turkey.
Photo by Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images
