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Wanneer: 17/06/2013 - 19:30

Link website: http://www.kritischestudenten.nl/agenda/categorieen/infoavond/

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KSU presents: Uprising in Turkey - an eyewitness account

Monday, June 17, 19.30
Political Bookshop de Rooie Rat, Oudegracht 65, 3511 AD Utrecht

Turkish student/activist, just back from Istanbul will describe his experiences, and present a collection of video-interviews of protesters in Taksim Square.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion about the roots of the biggest riots Turkey has seen in decades, how they are developing, and what the prospects are for the future.

:: Background ::
Early June a group of protesters started guarding action after some trees were taken down illegally in the name of urban gentrification projects. In the second day of the protest, very early in the morning, the police attacked the protesters heavily with gas bombs, presssured water and plastic bullets and wounded many protesteds. A spark began against this event of state terrorism and spread accross the country turning into a massive action and organized the big revolt. The public organized against increasing attacks, state terrorism and police violence and have been turning the streets into the area of resistance. This public revolt has been streaming for four days and is constantly spreading.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have resisted in Taksim where the government blocked enterence and the police violence have peaked, finally occupied the Taksim Square building barricades around the square and took control of Taksim. Protesters in Ankara took it to the streets in solidarity with Istanbul and building barricades in important placed in the city, expanding the revolt. Hundreds of protesters in Izmir, another big city, burned the ruling party building.

Social solidarity and mutual support in protest and clash areas are very high. In every city where clashes are streaming, people have opened their homes to protesters and wounded persons. Many people have put first aid kits and food to their front yards for the protesters. Voluteer medical teams have self organized very well in protest areas have been helping instantly to wounded protesters. Volunteer lawyers are helping protesters in custody.

As clashes are continuing, the numbers of dead and wounded people are increasing. Mainstream media is still acting like nothing happened. The number of dead people is said to have reached 10, but it is not certain because there are no official statements made. One protester in Istanbul was driver over by a car while blocking a street, another one had a stroke because of gas bombs, still another have been driver over by police panzer and all have lost their lives. A protester in Ankara have been shot in the head by the police fire and is brain dead.

While the action and clashes continue here, global solidarity is increasing. Anonymous hacked the sites of ruling party, Istanbul Police, Ankara Municipality and many other government agencies in solidarity. Anonymous have declared that they are going to continue cyber attacks against the terrorism that the Turkish State is continuing.

While millions of people are in the streets resisting the police attacks accross the county, some parties in opposition are trying to take advantage of and manipulate the action and politization. Just like what we had seen in some regions during The Arab Spring, the opposing parties (especially Kemalists) are trying to assume the action as theirs. The opposing parties taking advantage of social politization, are trying to gain from the action hoping for taking power. The ongoing revolt has left both politicians and the state in a bad position. While the government is trying to manipulate the revolt by calling it a protest of "a group of radicals", crisis is begining in economy. The economic crisis have showed first signs in the stock market.

However, this is one of the biggest massive action in the history of the country and the public is in the steets rising against the prohibitive politics of oppresion, suppresion, terror and police
violence that the state has been increasing steadily for a long time. The people that the state had been trying to tame with oppression for hundreds of years is now directly revolting against it.

Link website: http://www.kritischestudenten.nl/agenda/categorieen/infoavond/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/325136667617670