The news coming out from Istanbul via news services such as Al Jazeera show a lot of violent action from the side of the police and their allied security forces. Update – from Ankara.
Listening to the speeches of the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan there are contradictions in his calls that deny any legitimacy to the protesters and mix that minority that were causing some mayhem at the beginning, with the majority that are legitimately protesting now (and then) and that have valid issues to protest about.
To say Mr Erdogan lies to the people is not a false statement because, while saying he is not going to evacuate the square of protesters, that is exactly what the police have done; while saying the protest is only about trees etc he has had the police tear down all the banners and placards telling him to step down; so much of what he says to his supporters is contradicted in the actions that follow. He is making the situation worse all the time. He has labelled his own people terrorists!
Pressenza received two notes today from two different sources and these add to what we published previously, (See: http://www.pressenza.com/2013/06/ankara-c)alm-before-the-storm/ )
Communique 1
Dear friends,
Istanbul – Gezi Park was ruthlessly attacked last night around 8:30pm. Little children were stranded, amidst the panic. MILITARY POLICE have also stepped in now, supporting the state police. A harmless protester was run over by a police tank. Numbers of people are injured and hurt. Police also attacked the doctors’ section designated at Gezi and took down all the tents. We strongly suspect the police were instructed to plant fake evidence inside these tents they were raiding to frame the protesters as illegal operators and even terrorists. Divan Hotel, sheltering and helping the protesters, was raided by the police, with tear gas thrown inside, and police used beating sticks on unarmed protesters. A pregnant woman from the hotel now has a stillborn after last night’s attacks. Police attacked Alman Hospital with water cannon.
The rest of Istanbul took off from their neighbourhoods, and headed to the centre of action. A large group set off, on foot, from the Anatolian Side towards the European Side. We were met by the police before we could get to the bridge connecting the two sides, and smoked out with tear gas.
Some dispersed around the highway, some of us that fled the large group managed to make our way to Sisli (European Side) safely then joined the protesters resisting ahead in Osmanbey. There were military police and state police attacking protesters all over Istanbul last night…
A guy got hit by a gas capsule right on his head, in front of my eyes. Around 4:30am we all had to empty out of the main street as the armed forces chased us out at full force. I ran into a side street and went inside an apartment block. Residents inside took us in, we had to hide while the armed forces were clearing the streets. They let in about 50 protesters during the course of tonight’s events, they said. I’m writing on their laptop while we have some morning tea.
No channels showed tonight’s events live on TV, none! But we sure have some footage and photo evidence to go around very soon on social media. The injuries and damage I’ve mentioned above are limited to what I’ve seen and what I know. Tonight’s been one of the worst nights so far, everybody agrees.
Communique 2
Dear friends,
Police forces attacked the people again tonight, those that were in Gezi Park and Taksim Square.
There were a lot of children and women that were stuck in clouds of tear gas. They also attacked the Divan Hotel, the hotel in the plaza that each day has its doors open for those seeking refuge from the gas and the police arrested everyone coming out of the hotel.
While that was happening, more and more people were responding to the call to come to Taksim Square. Also from Kadikoy, on the Asiatic side of Istanbul, thousand have begun to mach in the direction of Taksim, shouting the slogan, “Wait for us Taksim, we’re almost there.” It’s the same people that were making a festive atmosphere in the street all afternoon in Kadikoy. The protest is growing in numbers.
I don’t know much what’s going on in Ankara. The whole center of the capital is filled with police, long lineups and many trucks with water canon and vehicles that spit out tear gas. In other places of the city there’s a similar presence of the police.
Ankara
Communique 3 (Hong Kong time Sunday 10pm)
Dear friends,
I am just back from the street and got in the middle of teargas shooting right next to the house in Kolej. In the street and into the park nearby. I saw barricades across the street but no protesters in sight. People on the walk ways shouted to the police cars in anger and indignation. Helicopters are constantly flying over the city, for sure to indicate to the police forces where in the city people are gathering in protest. It looks like a cat and mouse chase. Constantly ambulances are driving through the streets but I do not know from where they come or where they go. Maybe later I know more. Things are heating up, people getting angry.
Istanbul
I send you here a link with a full report by a Turkish political analyst about the violence last night in Istanbul.
