The New York Times has reported that violence erupted at a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday night, with police forced to detain several protesters.
A scuffle between protesters and attendees broke out in the ballroom of a New York hotel where Erdogan was speaking after a man yelled “You’re a terrorist. Get out of my country!” in English at Erdogan, the Times reported.
Videos showed what a New York Police Department confirmed to be rival protesters punching and slapping each other in the ballroom.
The incident comes just hours after President Trump met with Erdogan on Thursday in New York, where he said that he and the Turkish president “have a great friendship.”
Security forcefully removed at least one person involved in attacking the protesters. Police said that about five protesters were “briefly detained” during the incident, though no arrests were made. No injuries were reported, according to the Times.
Watch the video below:
TURKEY |
President Erdogan’s security details for the forth times beat protesters during NYC speech. pic.twitter.com/1hYNBIgH40
— Vocal Europe (@thevocaleurope) September 21, 2017
During Erdogan’s previous visit to the U.S. in May, his personal bodyguards attacked peaceful protesters outside the Turkish’s ambassador’s residence in Washington, hospitalizing nine people. Fifteen Turkish security officials and four civilians were later indicted on assault charges by a grand jury in August.
