Seven injured as group attacks fast-breaking dinner organized by US consulate in Diyarbakır

A crowd protested a fast-breaking dinner organized in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır by the U.S. consulate in Adana for Ramadan on July 15, attacking the tent where the food was prepared and served.

Seven people, including a police officer, were injured during the scuffles that erupted after the group’s attack. Two of the injured underwent surgery.

Some 72 NGOs and associations were invited by the U.S. consul general in Adana, John Espinoza, to the iftar in tents erected by Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality in the city’s central Dağkapı Square.

But a group of Islamists gathered nearby to protest the event, burning American flags. Some people within the group then reportedly threw flares at the tents and damaged tables and chairs, prompting police to resort to tear gas.

The U.S. consulate said they understood protests, but condemned the attack, noting that a similar event was held during Ramadan last year.

“We support the right to protest. But the fact that demonstrators threw all the food prepared is unacceptable. We condemn it,” said Espinoza, adding that the event was intended to show their commitment to the people of Diyarbakır.

“We wanted to show our respect for cultural and religious traditions with an iftar dinner in the district of Sur. We know that these hooligans who have breached this night unlawfully don’t represent Diyarbakır,” he said.

The head of the Democratic Regions Party’s (DBP) Diyarbakır branch, Zübeyde Zümrüt, claimed that the attack was planned. “Two of [the injured] are in serious condition. One has underwent surgery, while another is preparing to do so. One person may lose an eye. The others...