IN PHOTO: San Francisco's iconic ferry building is seen behind an assortment of signs and rainbow flags during a gay pride parade
IN PHOTO: San Francisco's iconic ferry building is seen behind an assortment of signs and rainbow flags during a gay pride parade in San Francisco, California June 28, 2015. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

A man was wounded near gay pride event on the night of June 27 when a group of men argued and opened fired. A 64-year-old man was taken in San Francisco hospital and is now in a stable condition, according to San Francisco authorities.

San Francisco police detained several suspects. Authorities believed the incident is unrelated to the weekend event. A citizen named Matthew Keys witnessed the shootout and took a video of the incident.

The S.F. police were alerted to the shooting at the United Nations Plaza area after 6 p.m. "When one of the subjects pulled out a gun and fired several shots. One shot struck a pride spectator in the arm,” a police officer said.

A concert that was part of the event ended when the shooting occurred. S.F gang task force, crime scene unit and night investigations unit are still investigating the incident.

Meanwhile in Istanbul, Turkey, riot police used some tear gasses and fired rubber pellets to disperse thousands of participants in the city’s Gay Pride march after some participants chanting slogans against the Istanbul President. A Vine video was shared by Ahmet Ayva shows the havoc during the event.

Pro-government protesters attacked the group of journalists covering the event on the fraught day. The aftermath of the attack caused minor injuries to an AFP photographer.

The police did nothing during attack, according to media and witnesses. An AFP journalist said officers assaulted her when she tried to film the police intervention.

A shared video on Twitter shows how police hosted down the protesters with water. News.com.au reports police closed off the access of Taksim Square, a usual place of anti-government protesters in 2013.

The Gay Pride event is the 13th edition of Turkey. According to a CNN report, organisers of the event released a statement, saying the government wasn’t allowing the procession due to Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Attendees of the event continued to celebrate the Gay Pride in the streets despite of the police chase. According to sources who witnessed the crackdown on Sunday’s march, it was an attempt to appeal Erdogan’s conservative base.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may email the writer at saraht.ibtimes@gmail.com.

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