The correspondents heard that people were gathering at the central square of Kizilay, so they went out at 3pm walking down to the main road to Kizilay Square where many people were walking in that direction with slogans, banners and making noise with whistles.
We accompanied them and when arriving at the square we saw that many other people were already there making music , singing and shouting slogans. The atmosphere was very peaceful and joyful, people enjoying themselves but expressing in many different ways their anger with the government. We talked a while with a group of very nice young students from Cyprus, studying in Ankara, otherwise making photos and videos.
Friends were met in a café. They expressed their feelings strong and hopeful and that the young people of Turkey will go on until changes towards a real democracy are realized. They said that the main reason for their uprising is freedom and true democracy. We also talked about the participation of the opposition parties and the labour unions as a sign of tolerance but that nobody will let them take over the uprising. There was a lot of joking and good humor and much energy.
At a certain moment they talked about the need of a new social mystique and of a new spirituality.
Our very lively talks went on until 10pm when we decided to go back to Kizilay square because somebody came with the information that thousands of people were walking to the square, meeting there with the many others who were already present. So we went all together.
It was very impressive what we saw. An unending gathering of people singing, dancing, making noises and so on. We filmed it all. We walked on towards the square which was overflowing with people into the surrounding streets. There were fireworks and waves of applause and the tumult of voices. We looked for a higher ground to be able to film it all. It was wonderful, joyful and strong. Then suddenly, after more or less half an hour, there appeared from the other side and from other directions of the square a number of water canon vehicles of the police, very slowly, emitting a horrible hooting sound. The people started to flee in all directions, knowing what was coming. Others shouted to stay, there was confusion. After having retreated a bit everybody stopped and started an ear deafening BOOH shouting , and walking slowly back. The police vehicles, advancing very slowly, very menacing and suddenly the water canons started spraying many people away. There was a row of heroic persons who stood fast in front of this onslaught, some with umbrellas.
But then from the gun turrets on top of the police vehicles teargas bombs were shot in all directions. We have all this on film, trying to film to the last possible minute after which we ran with all the others to evade the teargas. Nevertheless we got into a teargas cloud and right away we could not breath and got burning eyes and throat. Fortunately we were prepared and put our little masks on which helped a bit. Running fast to safety we lost each other. Florent had managed to get into a cafe that just was about to close its doors against the gas (all restaurants and cafes closed in no time, already being experienced in this), so it was easy to find him.
After having found Florent we had to cross the main road from Kizilay Square to Kolej and just then one of those police vehicles passed by preparing to shoot teargas into the side streets. So we walked calmly into the opposite direction crossing over and towards the place where our other friend was waiting. On the way there a Turkish man heard us talk in English and he asked us in English from which country we came. We started talking about the total craziness of the situation, the man accompanying us to the cafe. Just in front of the cafe a group of police (men and women) came from the other direction in search of resisting groups and started shooting teargas. We hurried into the cafe.
After a while we discovered our pal was upstairs so we all went upstairs having a tea and talking until the coast was clear. In the meantime, the gas cloud entered the cafe through closed doors and windows, but breathing was bearable. After a while we went out to go to the house and just then a mass of police ran around the corner and up a central walking area of cafes and terraces to confront a big group of people on the other end of that street, shooting gas again. But we walked in the opposite direction to our house, meanwhile hearing the shooting and seeing running people coming out of the different side streets. We managed to avoid further confrontations with gas.
It was a very long day with many experiences. For sure tomorrow there will be again many people in the streets because Erdogan arrives then in Ankara.”
Compiled from an on-the-spot report from Peter and Florent.
