ISTANBUL, June 26 (Reuters) - Turkish police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd that gathered for a Pride parade in central Istanbul on Saturday, detaining some of those seeking to take part in an event banned by local authorities. Reuters TV video showed police in riot gear pushing and dragging people, some waving rainbow flags as they assembled for the event in a side street off the city"s central Istiklal Avenue. Some 20 people, including a photo journalist, were detained, according to media reports. Riot police detain a demonstrator as LGBT rights activists try to gather for a Pride parade, which was banned by local authorities, in central in Istanbul, Turkey June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya Riot police detain a demonstrator as LGBT rights activists try to gather for a Pride parade, which was banned by local authorities, in central in Istanbul, Turkey June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya A demonstrator reacts as police officers prevent them to gather for a Pride parade, which was banned by local authorities, in central in Istanbul, Turkey June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya 1/4 Riot police detain a demonstrator as LGBT rights activists try to gather for a Pride parade, which was banned by local authorities, in central in Istanbul, Turkey June 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya Turkish authorities have repeatedly banned Pride events in recent years. Before then, thousands of people used to take part in the parade on the Istanbul street. Turkey has long been a candidate to join the European Union but its accession process has been languishing for years amid tensions over a variety of issues including human rights. On Thursday, a majority of European Union leaders vowed to continue combating discrimination against the LGBTI community in a joint letter amid a standoff with Hungary, whose parliament last week approved a bill that bans the distribution of material in schools deemed to promote homosexuality or gender change.