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The author of this post is not available to update it regularly. The post was updated at 13:30 on June 11, Turkish time.
* Police attacked Taksim once again.
Reported: By 7 am, all TV channels are ready for live streaming. Some 10 infiltrated police provocateurs spotted. Gas bombs and water cannons attacked for hours.
* FLASH NEWS: Riot police attacks in Ankara with teargas and blast bombs. (1:10 am)
* In the meanwhile in fascistan: Abdullah Gül, the Islamist president from AKP, just signed the bill that strongly restricts alcohol consumption.
* FLASH NEWS: Ankara. 23:30. Police attacked once again. Barricades are being formed by the protesters.
* Ankara, June 10. Police made barricades to several spots, not allowing tens of thousands to march to Kızılay. The protesters marched to Tunalı. Tensions continue.
* June 10: Tayyip (PM) declared that they do not accept our terms.
Bülent Arınç from AKP threatened the protesters.
* Reported, Ankara: Police deliberately aims at journalists, especially alternative media workers.
* RevoltAnkara (and not just ResistAnkara) (June 9th) : Police brutally attacked protesters all night long. Fights continue in several spots.
* Police attacks continue: Adana. Police forces attacked the protesters several times during the night.
* Demonstrations in many cities, most including open microphone.
* On the new twitter campaign "flamasızgezi", claiming Gezi should not have political party and/or organization flags. Deniz Sinan Tunaboylu, political testimony [my translation]
Gezi
without organization flags? Calm down. Okay, these are historical
days, we became a real “people” now, but there's no need to get
carried away.
Gezi
without organization flags is the discourse of liberals who are
uneasy with the presence of socialists and revolutionaries. Let us
not support this nonsense, please. These liberals were expecting
democracy and peace from AKP since 12 days ago, and now they're
trying to pacify our resistance.
Yet if
you insist on “flamasızgezi” (the hashtag for Gezi without
organization flags), my friend, who is unhappy with my presence, I
have to tell you a few things...
See,
this is me in the photo. Zaytung (Turkish The Onion) used it the
other day, but let me tell you something, this is a 7 years old
photo. Date: 3 May 2006. The privatization of Istanbul University
cafeteria, the day of the auction. We started our activities months
before the auction when we heard about the privatization. As “the
ones with flags” stood up for Gezi, we also stood up for the
cafeteria back then. Well, because “the ones with flags” stood up
for all the values of the country, everything that belongs to the
people: Tüpraş, Erdemir, Seka, Seydişehir and so on.
So my
friend, we made a protest that day. Academics, cafeteria workers,
revolutionary students were shoulder to shoulder, marching to Beyazıt
square. When we wanted to enter our university, police attacked. The
protesters resisted for a while, but then got dispersed. I lagged
behind, and then this scene... It was on newspapers the next day.
This is the books market but I actually had no chance to read a book
to the police officers: I couldn't have a photo-op, unfortunately. We
were not “without flags”, but we were without you. Perhaps, if we
weren't without you, the police couldn't disperse us, perhaps there
wouldn't be detentions. We called you several times for the action
but you turned up your nose and said “it's not worth it for this
people, it wouldn't work”, you left us alone. Do you know how many
times we confronted police violence like this? How many times,
defending the country, fighting oppression and violence.. You were
not there.
Now, one
says “Did I breathe the teargas for you to open your flag?”. My
brother, my sister. Watch the videos of May 31st, watch how
organizations resisted that day. In the end, we have a tradition, a
culture of struggle. It's your first time breathing it, but we had
been breathing it for years, every now and then. Don't show off,
please. Don't tell heroic stories to anyone. If you wanna have a race
on who was exposed to teargas the most, you'd lag so far behind. You
know about that orange gas thing, for instance? Years ago, they tried
it in our university for the first time. Did you hear about it back
then? You are telling me “Did I breathe the teargas for you to open
your flag?” but I say “I breathed all the teargas for years so
that the people rises up.” If you take a similar stand, that's how
we would win.
You were
not with me for years, when I was exposed to teargas. But that's
alright, my friend. I will not rake up the past, I am quite fine with
the situation today, people rose up. I focus on today and tomorrow.
Yet, I will be in this struggle the same way I was since years. I was
with flags, I had a political identity, I was organized. You didn't
listen to me for years, but don't shut your ears to me now. I am not
handing you my flag by force. I am not pressuring you. We reduced the
amount of flags, we emphasize more on common slogans. But what's in
front of us is an organized power, and we must be organized too. In
associations, in labor unions, in parties...
This
resistance is political, don't get deluded. Being political is not
necessarily carrying a party flag. Demanding the resignation of
government is a clear political discourse. Hence, hostility towards
politics is useful only for AKP mentality. Apoliticism is defeated by
this resistance, let us not give it a hand now.
Now, get
yourself out of Gezi for a moment and look around the country.
Ankara, Adana, Gazi... The resistance continues. Do not shut yourself
to Gezi to enjoy your time, my friend... The ones we lost in this
resistance were also “with flags”, let's not disrespect their
memory. And so: Long live our organized struggle.
Note: Here the “you” is not a singular person. The “you” is apoliticism, the praise of unorganizedness.
* Update (June 9th, Taksim march, 15:30).
* June 9th: Tayyip at Mersin (south of Turkey), in the inauguration of a shopping mall. (seriously) Thousands protesting.
* June 8th. Protests continued all around the country.
* June 8th, Ankara: Police attacked tens of thousands of people with no reason. Fights continue in all streets. Here is a video.
* Update: Tomorrow morning (June 8th) in Gezi Park women organize a nonsexist-nonhomofobic-nontransfobic SWEARWORD workshop.
* Medical Association, latest report (June 7):
- total wounded: 4785 (in 13 cities)
- 3 people died.
- 48 seriously wounded
- 2 in Ankara, 1 in Eskişehir : 3 of the wounded are in critical situation
- 18 had head trauma.
- 10 lost their eyes.
- 1 had his spleen taken.
* June 7th (13:00): Ankara: Protesters wanted to camp in Kuğulu Park, police didn't allow, threatened to attack. Tents were taken away by the protesters. No detentions.
* Tayyip's speech on June 6th (full text, not my translation, but the emphases are mine)
RT:
Dear brothers, people of Istanbul, friends, citizens attaching us from their TVs. I salute you with all my heart. I thank you for giving us this Istanbul night filled with amazing joy and excitement. Tonight I don't only salute you but I also salute every one of my brothers in every village, every city of Turkey.
Crowd: Ya Allah, Bismillah, Allah Akbar...
RT:
I salute my grandmothers, my sisters. I salute my worker brothers, farmers, laborers, villagers who work hard is to put bread on the table. I salute my young brothers who are as grand, as dignified and as poised as Turkey is.
Crowd: Istanbul is right here, where are the chapulcus?
RT:
I salute my brothers who are here in Istanbul, in Istanbul's brother city Sarajevo, Baku, Beirut, Skopje, Damascus, Gaza, Mecca, Medina. I salute Istanbul again and again with all my heart, every Istanbul neighborhood, every street, every district.
Crowd: Istanbul is right here, where are the drums!
RT:
I bring greetings from far away lands. I bring you my Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian brothers greetings. May Allah make our brotherhood last forever. May Allah make our unity and solidarity last forever. Our brothers and governors there all said that this shall pass. They said they believe in us. My dear brothers, Yunus (poet) said: "I don't come to fight, my job is for love. The friend's home is in hearts, I come to build hearts." We never want to break hearts, we always want to win hearts. We stood straight but we never steepened. Fight is not for us. Collisions are not for us. We don't vandalize, break, fight, destroy.
Crowd: May the hands who harm the police be broken!
RT:
Brothers, we know how to build and we came until today by building, producing, making Turkey bigger. I want to underline: We came until this point in spite of the interest lobby. Now, this interest lobby thinks they can threaten us. They should know this very well: We won't allow them to feed on our nation's hard work. If a bank's general manager goes ahead and claims that he sides with these vandals, he will find us against him. We came until today by making Turkey's economy bigger and bigger. The ones that came to us and told us they got 5 times richer during our time, now change sides. Today the world is talking about Turkey and its people. Where did all this come from? We came until today with patience, knowing that patience would lead to victory. Everybody must know this: We came until today by building Turkey on the basis of brotherhood, by making Turkey bigger, by honoring brotherhood.
Brothers, some people say that the Prime Minister is the prime minister of the 50 percent only. How can that be true? We always said until today that we were the servant of 76 million. We brought service from east to west. Who would have believed 10 years ago that one day there would be an airport in Hakkari, in Iğdır? When we came there were only 26 airports, we made that number 50. Those who are against us didn't ask why this service was given but they asked who gave this service. AKP did all this. AKP is doing all this. And they tried to do what they couldn't do in the elections, outside the elections. Nobody's ethnicity, origin, ideology is pushed aside in our eyes. Because we are not the masters of this nation, of the 76 million. We are their servants. United, we are Turkey. We are together, we are one. This is how we see the events in Turkey.
We read, analyze and step forward. AKP's success is not in colliding. But they must now this: We are the generations of Akif (poet). This might not work for some.
"I can't applaud cruelty, I can't love the cruel. I can't curse the past to please the one who comes. I can't be some low-born's dog. And most of all, I can't worship injustice. I am in love with independence since I was born. The golden tulip can never be my collar. If I see a bleeding heart, my heart breaks and I would be whipped or kicked to mend it. I can't say "don't care and walk away." I care. I step and I get stepped upon but I make the unjust just. I am the enemy of the wrong-doer but I love the wronged." (poem)
Dear brothers, as we respect the democracy, the elections and the national will, we ask for respect towards us. As we started this path, we said one thing: The goal is forward democracy and we will achieve it. Brothers, the nation gives the responsibility. And it can only be the nation who takes it back. Nobody other than the people can lay hands on this. Nobody can take it outside the voting ballots. We placed this responsibility as sacred since 10,5 years. We protected it with our lives and we will continue to do so.
Crowd: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan! Recep Tayyip Erdoğan!
RT:
There seems to be a problem there, what's going on? Let's call the security for help. Let's take our brother out. Let him breathe. (To someone in the crowd who seems to be fainting)
We won't let anyone break the law, threaten the democracy, vandalize, destroy and harm public property or people. Now at Gezi Park… (Crowd boos) those protest for not even 15 trees took three lives. Two youngster died and a police man was killed in action.
Crowd: May the hands who harm the police be broken!
RT:
Now, I am saying one thing from here. As much as the death of these young people are important, the death of my police is also important. Whose police is this?
Crowd: Ours!
RT:
The police works to protect our lives, our safety. He stands against terrorism, anarchy and vandalism. And what do they say? Pull the police back! What now? This is not some random place, this is the Turkish republic. And our police has done his work to protect the public places, public equipment, civilians and their belongings from those who attack them. Yes, they might have used some excessive force. My deputy prime minister has expressed our apologies. My Minister of Internal Affairs is looking into that. He is following up on the subject. But nobody has the right to attack us based on these. Our police man's unborn baby is left an orphan. Many shops are plundered, the store owners are harmed. And these shameless people took the Turkish flag in their hands and did all that.
Crowd: Let us go and we'll crash Taksim!
RT:
They said they were journalists, artists, politicians and they acted irresponsibly by provoking this discrimination, this lawless behavior. These actions that turned into vandalism and lawlessness must stop immediately. Our citizens that became the tools of terrorist organizations must refrain from these anti-democratic, lawless actions. My innocent citizens! Whatever we will do we will do with law. We will see every other way lawless and stand against them.
Crowd: Let us go and we'll crash Taksim!
RT:
You acted with dignity and common sense these past 10 days. We won't give up on those. You don't have pots and pans in your hands do you?
Crowd: No!
RT:
Now, that's important. We don't want you to become one of those with pots and pans, you will be our youngsters with computers in their hands. The grand youngsters of the grand Turkey, you will continue walking forward. You are the hope of the wronged. You are the examples to the Middle East, to Africa, to the Balcans. You will take big steps and reach big places. You won't betray or betrayed.
Crowd: Ya Allah, Bismillah, Allah Akbar…
RT:
Young people, I thank each and every one of you. I open my arms to all the young people of Turkey through you. I salute all my friends and brothers in Anotolia, in Thrace and in the whole world. Dear people of Istanbul, rest assured: Nobody can stand in the way of Turkey's progress other than Allah.
Crowd: Ya Allah, Bismillah, Allah Akbar…
RT:
I give my condolences to our martyr police and our two young people. "Be glad Mehmet (a common name for a soldier), our head is held high. Be glad whether we die or come back home. Don't think this wheel will stay on this bump. Tomorrow is ours. The sun has risen, the sun has set, infinity is ours." (poem)
May Allah be with us on the way. May our path and luck be open. May Allah be with you.
* June 6th: The evening and the night were full of massive peaceful demonstrations all around the country.
(June 7, 12:00) EDIT: In Gazi, İstanbul, police attacks heavily injured Turan Akbaş, who is in intensive care at the moment after the operation.
Here are some photos:
 |
| Taksim, open microphone |
 |
| Taksim, voluntary veterinary spot in action |
 |
| Taksim. Liberating the park. Planting new trees. |
 |
| Ankara, late at night. |
* (20:00) Taksim Solidarity Platform published a press release, stating they see no sign of cooperation from government officials. "This is just the beginning. The struggle continues."
* İzmir: Başak Özçelik shared her photos demonstrating police violence. This happened in the main square of İzmir.
* İrfan Tuna, a cleaning employee exposed to gas bombs for long hours last night in Ankara, died of heart attack. Prosecutors demanded autopsy to analyze the effect of teargas in his death.
*
* Yesterday's catch:
İzmir: Social democrat mayor threatened workers, said if they go to strike then heavy discipline measures will be applied. Ankara's Islamist mayor congratulated him.
* A very good photo-description-story of Gezi Park, Taksim.
* (17:00) Tayyip says they will continue with the transformation of Gezi Park.
* FLASH (16:00) Testimony:
Friends. World media focused on Taksim as the police does not attack as in here. So the resistance seems to have stopped. However Ankara is being exposed to several-folds attacks at the moment: gas bombs thrown into buildings, public torture scenes, detentions, plastic bullets... I request you to focus in Ankara and spread the word.
* Patti Smith sends support: We are all chapulling.
* In this video, published on June 4, police officer gives orders: "Hit whomever you see. Let Allah help you, bro."
* This website is called "You are so beautiful.", referring to Turkish female protesters.
* This seems comprehensive for the first 9 days.
* Reported: Socialdemocrat municipality pacifies protests in Antalya, shows years old slides together with national anthem and firework. (At the same moment, police attacks in Ankara were continuing.)
* İstanbul testimony (about June 5):
Political parties, NGOs, LGBTs, organizations have stands all over.
Yesterday was the most crowded night I think. Yes, there is a library
constructed. Everywhere is full of free water and bread distributions.
There is a workshop program, we made a nonviolence training, they also
do yoga pilates or something.
We couldn't find a place for our tent, or even to sit and relax, last night.
We couldn't find a place for our tent, or even to sit and relax, last night.
* Here is the evidence for the testimony below (Ankara):
* OUTRAGEOUS: Fethullah [Fundamentalist community leader] says "We should rehabilitate this rotten generation." and calls the protesters as "depraved".
* Reported: Erasmus students participating in the demos were threatened with deportation.
* Ankara testimony: (June 5)
Day of general strike. Marching towards Kızılay square. Police barricades and water cannons and helicopters on the sides. Apparently, a few people pushed the barricades. I'm guessing that police said “we'll attack if this repeats”, guessing because due to helicopters nothing was audible. Union said they stop the protest. Until we got what's happening, police attacked brutally. We later learned that unionist were forming a barricade “in order to avoid anyone attacking the police”. Some people started an argument with the unionists. And police attacked in the meanwhile, for no reasonable reason. Protesters retreated until Beytepe and formed a barricade.
This is just Kızılay. But the resistance is all over Ankara: Yüzüncüyıl, Dikmen, Mamak, Çiğdem, neighborhoods. Everyday there is a neighborhood march, massive participation. Two days ago, we wanted to join to Dikmen groups, but failed due to brutal police attacks.
* (June 5) Ankara: Police attacked the general strike march.
* (June 5, all day and night) Rize: Fascists attacked the protesters. Protesters got stuck in an association supporting the demonstrations.
* "Chapulling" becomes an English word of Turkish origin.
* Taksim Solidarity Platform had a meeting with Bülent Arınç, President of the Assembly, AKP. Here is the statement they delivered.
* (June 5) Police attacks in Antakya is continuing brutally.
In Dersim, barricades were formed by the protesters to stop police attacks.
In Ankara, police is reported to act hostile, they do not let the protesters reach the meeting area.
(more on the last one later)
* Taksim seems to have calmed down. People testify it is safer than ever before (now that we don't have the police around).
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