The 2013 Turkish Uprising Thread

[JackRiddler]

It's time for One Big Thread, no?

Taksim Square was attacked and cleared yesterday. Riot police came in to protect a "cleaning" operation, obvious provocateurs threw molotovs, and the cops let them run loose while wailing into the crowd with teargas and water cannons. Gesi Park next door is still occupied.

Shit, 50 lawyers went to deliver a statement about the attack on Gezi Parki outside a court and they were all arrested and beaten. Not good.

Follow developments here:

Turkish riot police move into Taksim Square - live updates

LIVE
• More than 50 lawyers arrested at court protest
• Erdogan praises police operation
• Protesters claim police provocateurs threw petrol bombs
• Police use water cannon and teargas to breakup protests

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ju ... 49db72ad93

Here's a summary of the main events so far today:

• Turkish riot police broke up a protest by lawyers at Istanbul's main court as they gathered to make a statement about police brutality. More than 50 lawyers were detained. Video footage showed that many of them were beaten.

• At least 15 people were treated in hospital, including one man with a brain injury, after police used teargas and water cannon to regain control of Taksim Square from anti-government protesters. Police briefly entered Gezi Park but were resisted by protesters. Earlier the governor of Istanbul had pledged that police would not enter Gezi Park.

• Protesters accused the security services of trying to provoke violence by using provocateurs to throw petrol bombs at police vehicles. Observers noted that the protest movement opposes violence and that those throwing the petrol bombs resembled policemen.

• Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised the police operation and urged the protesters to leave the streets. He said: "I request all activists to see the big picture, understand the plot, and withdraw from the streets."

If on facebook, follow the feed of photographer Jenna Pope. She's effectively the OWS correspondant on the scene, a one-woman wireservice and a hero to me.

https://www.facebook.com/ibejennnnna?ref=ts&fref=ts

Maybe some of her pics later... she's a talent.

...

Also, in New York on Saturday (also posted on another thread), event I helped organize, pics & video:

TURKISH-GREEK SOLIDARITY JUNE 8 @ OWS ZUCCOTTI
Video & Photos – #ResistIstanbulAthensNYC

From New York, we hoped to do our modest part in solidarity with the ongoing Turkish struggle. Fifty people gathered at 1:30 last Saturday (6/8)...

http://www.akny.org/2013/06/turkish-gre ... -zuccotti/

[DrVolin]

What strikes me about this is that violent repression is nothing new in Turkey. The difference now is that the urban elite are the object of repression.

[slimmouse]

I just so happened to catch a glimpse of the coverage of this today on the BBC's world serviice.

The talking head in the studio threw out one of the standard questions (Im paraphrasing to make the point)

"Was there evidence of violent factions at the scene of the protest?"

Now is it just me , or does anyone else also believe that due to institutionalised programming, the "on the scene reporter" would have been incapable of replying with what is most likely the truth?

That would probably read...

"Well other than the instuments of state, No"

[JackRiddler]

Urban elite is unfair, I believe.

This brings together a lot of working class but definitely urban/secular people as well as the academic and professional new precariat or, as I heard this weekend, the "cognitariat." And it's also not the first time that the Turkish state is attacking an intellectual class.

And just plain youth.

Is this guy urban elite? He stopped being that the moment he decided to stop a truck with his head.

From kurtizz01: "Determination is act of deciding definitely. This man was determined to stop a water cannon truck."
#OccupyGezi #Respect pic.twitter.com/FX4IOdDHSy

[Nordic]

This is one of my favorite pictures ever.

[elfismiles]

was listening to NPR yesterday around 11:30am CST and heard them begin to interview someone there who started to say that there were obvious provocateurs (staged by the police) using Molotovs as the excuse for the police to use increased force ... well, the announcers quickly went to commercial and I thought they said they were going to come back to the guest / witness but I listened a while longer and never heard them return to the guest/witness alleging provocateurs. I was in the car and so did have to exit and perhaps they did return to him but ... seemed REALLY shady.

[JackRiddler]

I just came up with a name for Jenna Pope:
One Womanwirephoto Service (OWS)

Here are some photos from my friend Jenna Pope (who is really my friend, even though she's now a celebrity) mixed in with others.

Tonight, 6/13 in Istanbul: After yesterday's brutal eviction of the protesters from Taksim Square, guess what? It's full of people again. Here are hundreds of them gathered around a man... playing a piano he brought. What? "I think I'll just tuck my GRAND PIANO under my arm here and lug it down to the middle of the world's biggest ongoing riot." Now that's readiness to sacrifice!

The Slingshot Lady. (Not from Jenna, I don't think.) Fewer words necessary, and in its way even more inspiring!


From World Riots 24/h

Thousands of protestors on Istiklal Street just blocks from Taksim Square earlier tonight as tear gas floats down the street behind them. Cops are using water cannons and tear gas to push back protestors who are attempting to get near Taksim.



View more of my photos here: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?opt ... beiJ79Re0i

More info on the protests in Turkey: http://www.salon.com/2013/06/05/no_this ... l_protest/

It should be mentioned that Occupy ERT broke out in response to the government's surprise shutdown, by ministerial fiat, of all public broadcasting! Both scary & inspiring to have these mass rallies simultaneously in Turkey and Greece.

Back to Jenna: Photos from Tuesday's (6/11) eviction of Taksim Square, which is next to Gezi Parki.

"People standing in Taksim Square after hundreds of police officers, along with multiple water cannons and other police vehicles, entered the area early this morning. They have been using water cannons and tear gas on the protestors all morning."



The view from Gezi Park in Istanbul [of Taksim Sq].

"Determination is act of deciding definitely. This man was determined to stop a water cannon truck."
#OccupyGezi #Respect pic.twitter.com/FX4IOdDHSy

Earlier on Tuesday, before the full police attack had unfolded:

Later I'll dig up the Taksim Sq. declaration and some of the recent press releases on police tactics, but this needs to be understood:

DEAR FRIENDS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD ~

A new tactic by the Turkish Government and Police is in use. They've pulled out of Taksim in Istanbul, and they're leaving the protesters alone in a few other big cities, because that's where the international media have their cameras. They want us/you to think the brutality came to an end.

WELL IT DID NOT.

It's escalated in smaller towns all over Turkey. What happened in Istanbul for the past week, is now happening as brutally -even more- in Ankara, Adana, Antakya, Eskisehir, and dozens of other districts across Turkey.

Please copy and paste so that everyone around you knows about this, too. Thanks.

[JackRiddler]

[JackRiddler]

It's 3am here, and I haven't slept in about 27 hours. I was on my way back to the place I'm staying, but was drawn back in by the piano music in Taksim Square, and I can't pull myself away. It's so surreal. I thought for sure we'd be in the middle of another battle right now and I'd be caught between the crossfire - water cannons and tear gas coming from one way, rocks and molotov cocktails coming from the other way. Instead, I'm listening to beautiful music, with beautiful people ♥

Now you're making me cry again. Stay safe & warm! Be young forever!

Currently listening to this pianist play "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King in Taksim Square as riot police stand behind me guarding a monument, and multiple water cannon trucks and armored police vehicles are parked directly in front of me.

[JackRiddler]

Has anyone posted this yet? From about a week ago...

_EarlyJune.jpg

[cptmarginal]

On Friday, May 31, Turkish riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray into a peaceful protest held to save Gezi Park, one of the last green areas in central Istanbul. This set off the biggest civil uprising in the history of the Turkish Republic, calling for Prime Minister Erdogan's resignation. The unrest has spread like wildfire to more than 60 cities where protests are still ongoing. We landed in Istanbul the day it all kicked off.

Tim Pool Live Streaming from Istanbul - VICE

Protests in Turkey - The Big Picture

[JackRiddler]

Mothers responded to the Turkish Prime Minister saying, "I say to the mothers and fathers please take your children in hand and bring them out... We cannot wait any more because Gezi Park does not belong to occupying forces but to the people...," by holding hands and forming a protective chain as they walked throughout Gezi Park and Taksim Square tonight.



The sun is rising, and there's still people playing the piano in Taksim Square.

[Allegro]

It's 3am here, and I haven't slept in about 27 hours. I was on my way back to the place I'm staying, but was drawn back in by the piano music in Taksim Square, and I can't pull myself away. It's so surreal. I thought for sure we'd be in the middle of another battle right now and I'd be caught between the crossfire - water cannons and tear gas coming from one way, rocks and molotov cocktails coming from the other way. Instead, I'm listening to beautiful music, with beautiful people ♥

Now you're making me cry again. Stay safe & warm! Be young forever!

Currently listening to this pianist play "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King in Taksim Square as riot police stand behind me guarding a monument, and multiple water cannon trucks and armored police vehicles are parked directly in front of me.

BRAVO! ♥
I teared up. 'Walked around imagining what it must have felt like, there. Tonight, here's my heart-felt contribution. Be young forever!


^ A player who's not afraid of full electronic sounds on the keyboard. He plays Can You Feel The Love Tonight. Imagine hearing it played in Taksim Square, one more time!

^ Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Lyrics Broadway

Thanks, Jack!
~ A.

_________________
Edit: corrected a misspell.
Thank you, Countdown

[2012 Countdown]

fucking beautiful.

[DrEvil]

It's at times like this that I miss Hugh

And I want a grandma like that!