Riots in Turkey.

General General wrote: »

Anyone else hearing about these riots in Turkey?

Apparently, it was instigated by a crowd of cocky people.

Yeah I was at them. Police went a bit ape-shít using teargas constantly throughout the day, there's reports that some people died and a lot of injuries. It will probably come out clearer in the news tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/cemadrian/status/340584024479248384/photo/1

^^ This is the top of the main shopping street in Istanbul, the equivalent of Grafton St. in Dublin so to speak - tens of thousands of people walk through here every day. The cylindrical metal containers are empty gas canister shells.

General General wrote: »

Do you think that the Halk TV reports of 1000 police & 15 chiefs of police resigning are true?

No idea really since there have been a ton of rumours mostly on Twitter, such as the phones being jammed, twitter being blocked (?), TV chiefs resigning because they weren't allowed to broadcast coverage.

Only thing I can say for certain being here is that this was unlike any previous protest in the level of police response and general recklessness, putting tourists and the public at risk as well as the protesters.

To be fair, if Turkey can collectively ignore the armenian genocide, they can probably forget about a riot.

Just got back from spending the evening in the center, the mood in the city is anarchist street party.

The police have completely pulled out of the central area so everywhere that was previously off-limits is now filled with people, although there are reports that they've targeted some other areas instead.

A lot of shop windows are broken, everywhere has been graffitied with anti-Erdogan slogans, and a number of buses and police cars have been destroyed and upturned.

On the other hand, these chaps seemed to be enjoying themselves outside the U2 pub...

Wasn't there talks of Turkey joining the EU at some stage? I can see how they have so much in common with Dublin!

cml387 wrote: »

Peanut, are the riots against increasing Islamification of the country, or can it be that simple?

I'm reading that in a lot of places (mostly Western sources), but I honestly don't think so.

I think it's a bit of a lazy interpretation that's an over-simplification of the situation, coming from a neurosis in the media for focusing on a religious vs. secular angle whenever possible.

The best article I read recently about it was from the Guardian, this one

You can understand from that that the riots mostly revolve around the figurehead of the PM and his unilateral approach to decision making and governance, e.g. on replacing the park with a shopping mall/faux-historical style re-creation (the 3d render here trying to incorporate commercial units looked terrible) -

"They can do whatever they want," he said. "We've made our decision, and we will do as we have decided," he said.

Nice way to win friends and influence people?

Then after the initial police reaction to the protestors (and anyone else nearby), one of his mates in AKP chips in with the classic line,

"It looks like some people needed gas."

Basically they stopped giving a shít about any kind of consensus, knowing that they have the support of the majority of the electorate. The graffiti over Istanbul this evening translates into personal insults at Erdogan, son of a bítch etc. and more colourful Turkish phrases

if that's in reference to the Arab spring,you do realise that turkey is in fact a republic right?

And it's not part of the Arab World...

December2012 wrote: »

Why? Because some of the public protested?

We all have the moral right to protest

Did you fully read my post?