I have to interrupt the posts from Urfa because I find what is happening in Taksim, in my home, disturbing. For the past three days, people have gathered in Gezi Parkı in Taksim to protest the removal of trees for the massive construction project that the government begun last fall. The plan to turn one of the area's last green spaces into a shopping mall, moved people to peacefully occupy the park. In response, police have attacked protestors with tear gas and water cannons, injuring many, hospitalizing some. I do not know the exact figures, nevertheless, when I came home from work today, my neighbourhood looked like a war zone. My eyes and throat burned, I saw legions of riot police forming a wall on the other side of the newly built tunnel, blocking the square. Then, POP-POP-POP! I turned around and saw a thick yellow cloud rising, moving towards me.
Unarmed citizens are being gassed, sprayed point-blank in the face with chemicals, and assaulted by high-pressured water cannons.
They even gassed the metro. The metro.
This is not right.
Please be warned, some images are graphic:
Occupy Gezi on Tumblr
Photos on Hurriyet Daily News.com
Unarmed citizens are being gassed, sprayed point-blank in the face with chemicals, and assaulted by high-pressured water cannons.
They even gassed the metro. The metro.
This is not right.
Please be warned, some images are graphic:
Occupy Gezi on Tumblr
Photos on Hurriyet Daily News.com
8 comments:
Massively bad. It makes me feel sick for you...
I've just heard a radio report about this. So sad and so wilful. And shameful.
Seeing those images of hurt people, and knowing that your beautiful city in chaos - it is heartbreaking...
Thank you, Sheryl.
It is shameful and heartbreaking. Things are getting scary here, where voicing opposition peacefully results in such violence committed against defenseless people. This is no longer about chopping down trees.
Szaza, this is terrible what is happening! I hadn't seen anything in the news, but your sketches and photos tell the sickening story of the police overreacting in horrendous ways. I think you are right that this has become something much more than reacting to a peaceful protest about preserving green space. I hope you stay safe.
I'll send your link out...
It probably never was about trees for your government. Control is always the goal, and somebody was getting a good payoff for giving up your greenspace. I hate that money rules everything - or so they think until people won't be pushed. Take good care.
I'm afraid gassing the metro happened here as well, when the police did it in the middle of a busy day, in THE most central station in Athens. Many people had problems, the red cross was trying to help, and quite a few were beaten up (including the red cross).
Of course there was public outcry, blah, blah, blah, but they still managed to shift the subject from the protest to the riots. Classic tactic of the ones in power.
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