Protesters #OccupyGezi to save Istanbul park

May 31

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Protesters #OccupyGezi to save Istanbul park

Activists defy bulldozers to block demolition of city's 'last public green space'.

TURKEY/
A Turkish riot policeman uses tear gas as people protest against the destruction of trees in a park brought about by a pedestrian project, in Taksim Square in central Istanbul May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Updated on Friday at 17:15 GMT.

Turkish riot police fired tear gas and water cannons into crowds of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul’s Gezi park on Friday. Since May 28, activists have held peaceful protests to prevent the demolition of a what they call Istanbul’s last green public space.

According to Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh, protesters complained that police were firing teargas indiscriminately, while some demonstrators were seen throwing rocks at police.

While the main demand of the demonstration is to protect Gezi park, other are airing grievances against Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Twitter, hashtags related to the protest trended worldwide, with the main term “#OccupyGezi” reaching more than 160,000 mentions on Friday. Many activists on the ground have started tweeting in English in order to spread news of the police crackdown.

View the story "Protesters #OccupyGezi to save Istanbul park" on StorifyProtesters #OccupyGezi to save Istanbul parkActivists defy bulldozers to block demolition of city's 'last public green space'.Storified by The Stream· Fri, May 31 2013 10:19:50Many posted photos on Istanbul's popular Istiklal Street and described the spreading protests. Istiklal Street now RT @140journos An itibariyle İstiklal Caddesi'nin Taksim Meydanı girişi via @13melek http://pic.twitter.com/hZMGxh0vGy #occupygeziBurcu BaykurtHeated atmosphere in #Istanbul, Istiklal transforming, protesters replace shoppers and tourists, teargas fills the airBiroul Melodramatic Crowds are calling for mayor's resignation in Istiklal street near Taksim Square in Istanbul #occupygezipark http://pic.twitter.com/9kWz3jpfOVASLI TUNCThis is not a movie scene it's tear gas in #istanbul #istiklal caddesi sprayed over Turkish people by Turkish police #direngeziparki #occupygeziasli_ozbekThe pictures from #occupygezi are truly dystopian. Started with 100s, but turned into 1000s against govt troops http://bit.ly/11bXO6FSunny HundalThe anger this has released is impressive. A sudden reminder that Istanbullus really know how to protest. So why weren't we doing it before?BÜLENT JOURNALprotestors are ridiculously diverse right now. ranging from ultra nationalist turks to kurds, extremely apolitical ppl, footbal fans...fun!meyremEven some football fan clubs are now joining to protests at #occupygezi; this is spreading beyond political activists. That's important.kubraActivists have called to spread the protests to cities all over Turkey, sharing photos said to be from the capital of Ankara and Izmir:There are support actions for #occupygezi all over Turkey. This is Ankara: http://pic.twitter.com/KwJxe3yZoK via @UzakMesafe #direngeziparkı”Viva la causa!Photo has been captured in Izmir where protest agains #occupygezi takes place as well as Istanbul and other cities http://pic.twitter.com/7BfjjtzPVbnatalie solidarityThis isnt just IST. Calls for protests in Adana, Izmir, Ankara, Eskisehir, Anatalya, Izmit, Bursa, Fethiye, Samsun, Yozgat, etc #TurkeySteven A. CookTwimgMore than 100,000 ppl have signed petition against #Turkish govt plans to raze park for mall, activists sayAyla Jean YackleyMany debated whether Erdogan or the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had become the target of the protests.This reaction is now far beyond an environmentalist protest, a vast anti-government reaction. This must be scary for oppressive Islamists.ASLI TUNC@BenjaminHarvey @IvanCNN This is NOT a protest against the president Erdogan or AKP. This is about HUMAN RIGHTS.Feyza Düzyol#occupygezi because it's not only a park AKP is destroying: rule of law, nature, equality, democracy, freedom,right to life. #direngeziparkıGokce PiskinPoliticians speaking about #OccupyGezi, say protesters attacked cops. Don't realize we saw live? What, they attacked while asleep in tents?b9AcEOthers shared their testimonies in comments on the social news site Reddit: They've just cut the cables of the broadcasting vehicles at the square, and watered down some of them so all their equipment is damaged. Multiple groups have plans to start marching towards Taksim at 7pm, and now the law enforcement will behave much more comfortably, with no eyes watching.reddit.compolice forces are acting like gestapo for the last 3 days. a congressman has been hospitalized. our cell phones are jammed, subways are cancelled and there is a gossip going around that governor allowed police forces to use plastic bullets.strencherMany online criticised Turkish media for their lack of coverage, especially in comparison to foreign media. #OccupyGezi protests, so big in scale yet ignored by the mainstream media. The only flow of information is online or foreign media.Oray Eginummm..how to say this.. this is embarrassing but, our national media is kinda "tampered with", may we borrow yours? :) @Reuters #occupygeziMurat EKENFrom now on I will tweet in English about Gezi Park resistance for foreign press. #occupygeziparkASLI TUNChuh, #occupygezi is now the leading story in US edition of http://news.google.com, but not in the the turkish one…media blackout much?Dobromir HadzhievTwitter users outside Turkey also responded to the media silence in Turkey.They'll use water cannons, teargas, and even shoot rubber pullets at your head. Your Mission is to be heard, you're being heard. #occupygeziAnonymous ⎝⏠⏝⏠⎠ If the pictures coming out of Istanbul were coming from Iran, the Western media and politicians would be all over it. #occupygeziRob GantTwitter users reported that Internet access around Taksim Square is very limited. protestors urge people/shops/cafes in beyoğlu-taksim district to remove wifi passwords 2allow them internet access-3g slow/gone. #occupygezimeyrem

On May 30, unconfirmed reports suggested more than 10,000 people had gathered in Taksim's Gezi Park.

Fbcdn#DirenGeziParkı and other Turkish hashtags have been tweeted nearly 50,000 times. Activists are also tweeting with the English hashtag #OccupyGezi to bring international attention to the protest. Government razing historic Taksim park to build more malls & luxury flats, depriving #Istanbul of precious green space #turkeyAyla Jean Yackley#Taksim is ours #istanbul is ours Taksim bizim Istanbul bizim. Crowds shout in unison at #geziparki protestLouis FishmanCalling out to the international community. Please support our cause #occupygezi The government wants to demolish Gezi Park to build a mall.Defne HalmanGezi Parkında müthiş bir kalabalık varyonca7Protesters couldnt stop the bulldozers. Taksim Gezi Park will be a shopping mall. 75-year-old trees: http://pic.twitter.com/Wc7qCuGJEX #dailygasreportEmre KIZILKAYATaksim park protestors try to plant the trees back again, after police-aided bulldozers removed them http://pic.twitter.com/XB9XyjBGyy #dailygasreportEmre KIZILKAYAPhotos and video showing police using tear gas quickly appeared online. Many have brought makeshift gas masks. Taksim Gezi Parkı'nda nöbet tutan grup dağıtıldı, polisin biber gazlı müdahalesi !thesultanimektebiIt's almost 6 am in Istanbul, the police burn down protesters' tents ‏at #occupygezi http://pic.twitter.com/nX3B2gOepZ via @kiyametprojesiBurcu BaykurtDemonstrators have shared creative protest tactics, from graffiti to reading books aloud to police.Istanbul's contribution to the Occupy Movement. Activists reading books to the police via @fundaeryigit http://pic.twitter.com/FJjCzR9sTbsinan ulgen#geziparkıicintaksime #gezibizim #occupygezipark #sahipcik #ayagakalk http://pic.twitter.com/U7S5CRvgKUGülçin Önel #DirenGeziParkı #GezideAğaçNöbeti #OccupyGeziPark #geziparkıiçintaksime #gezibizim #occupygezi #inadinagezi http://pic.twitter.com/tBjxv4XmXQkedilipireSince the government announced plans to redevelop Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, many Turks objected on different grounds. Journalist Ilhan Tanir (@WashingtonPoint) spoke to The Stream:ilhan Tanir on The StreamajstreamSome criticized the lack of transparency while others suggested that "Gezi Park has nothing to do with trees".Curious? #Taksim protest? See picture of park within cement jungle- AKP wants to turn into shopping mall #Istanbul http://pic.twitter.com/JNza5xcV98Louis FishmanCan you build a Mall/Hotel in the middle of #CentralPark, #HydePark or #Åskersund? You CAN in #Istanbul/#Taksim. #AyagaKalk #GeziParkiGurkanOzturanThis Gezi Park thing is about far more than trees and shopping malls - fair to say AKP underestimated frustrations w/ aspects of its ruleAaron SteinSadly, #Turkey has become an ecological nightmare; pulling down trees for malls, forests for bridges, and flooding whole cities for damsLouis FishmanIn a 2012 blog post Marc Guillet writes:You can’t compare little Gezi Park with Central Park in the center of Manhattan (843 acres – 3.41 km2) or Hyde Park in London (350 acres). But it is a cozy oasis for young mothers with kids, old people who chat and sip Turkish coffee or tea, and others who just want to escape the constant noise of the city. This park, like all parks, is one of the vital components of urban existence.journalistinturkey.comA petition against the development project, "Taksim belongs to all of us!", reads: As the highest-profile and most symbolic square in Turkey, Taksim Square means many things to people of many different walks of life. Democratic participation in deciding how to design and use this public space is just as important as it is in rewriting the Constitution. The days of reckless urban development and planning without public consultation are long over. It’s time to do things differently. Let’s start with Taksim Square.taksimplatformu.org