{UAH} Turkey Turkish Radiohead fans attacked at listening party in Istanbul

Turkey Turkish Radiohead fans attacked at listening party in Istanbul

About 20 men beat up fans of the group outside the Velvet Indieground
record store, apparently angry at them enjoying music and alcohol
during Ramadan

A group of Radiohead fans has been attacked by a mob of men carrying
sticks and bottles as they held a listening party of the band's music
in Istanbul.


The incident, which was largely captured on video, occurred on Friday
night at the Velvet Indieground record store – a popular destination
for Turkish and foreign music fans in the Istanbul district of
Cihangir. There was at least one injury, with a picture of a person
with a bloodied shirt, purportedly from the attack, posted on Twitter.

The video shows a visibly angry man storming into the record store as
employees and customers listen to Radiohead's new album, A Moon Shaped
Pool. Most of the people in the store hastily leave. A waiting mob
then reportedly attacked the group and the door of the record store
was smashed, although there were no reported serious injuries from the
assault.

Related:
More on this topicRadiohead release new album A Moon Shaped Pool

Velvet Indieground staff said the altercation was caused by a group of
about 20 men who were unhappy that the store was playing music and
handing out alcohol during the holy month of Ramadan, during which
Muslims are expected to fast during the day. Although alcohol is
generally considered forbidden by Islam, only a few countries ban it
and drinking is largely tolerated in much of the Middle East.

A Reddit post from someone claiming to be one of the hosts of the
listening party said that the group was "determined to kill us".

"We were beaten by more than 20 men with pipes in their hands, beer
bottles were broken on our heads, I don't even know how we made it
out," the post read, before adding a later update that everyone
escaped serious injury.

"For the first time in my life, I was scared of being killed. Can't
even think right now, just a blank stare at the walls. Weird Fishes is
my favorite song in the world, and I was dancing to it outside when it
all started. Now it has so much more meaning for me."

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs in
Barcelona. 'Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet
IndieGround in Istanbul,' the band said. Photograph: Jordi
Vidal/Redferns Radiohead, who released A Moon Shaped Pool to
widespread critical acclaim in May, released a statement expressing
sympathy for their fans.

"Our hearts go out to those attacked tonight at Velvet IndieGround in
Istanbul," the statement read. "We hope that someday we will be able
to look back on such acts of violence as things of the ancient past.
For now, we can only offer our fans in Istanbul our love and support."

The attacks come at a time of heightened tension in Istanbul.
Authorities have banned transgender and gay pride marches that were
due to take place in June, after an ultra-nationalist group warned it
would not allow them to go ahead.

The Istanbul governor's office said the marches, which would have
taken place shortly after last weekend's massacre of 49 people at a
gay nightclub in Florida, would not go ahead due to concerns over
public safety.


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