Taksim Square Update

In Blog, Politicsby Reuben & Gielty9 Comments

Ambulance on way to Taksim

Ambulance on way to Taksim

Following our reporters’ piece from this morning on the events at Taksim Square (here) things have escalated dramatically. Report images & video by Reuben & Gielty

Further attacks by police during the day have left many injured amid chaotic scenes of tear gassing and plastic bullets. Unconfirmed reports of two dead. The Ultras of the three local football clubs have joined together to protest the treatment of civilians and a mass meeting has been called for 8pm (7pm Irish time)

Our sources have the following short dispatch as they have broken away from the protest amid more plastic bullet fire:

“Its pitched battles involving thousands now from istiklal to beyoglu mass demo on. Volunteer docs are treating wounded on site. Shops and hotels have opened up their wifi for free for people to communicate. A kurdish opposition mp has been injured and many hospitalised as night falls all reports are it is escalating significantly. Concerned about friends.”

“Yes the activists we’re with now are talking for the first time about Izmir, Bursa, Ankara, Eskisehir and Antalya.”

Below is a gallery of our photos & videos taken in and within 1km of Taksim within the last hours, updated. Video includes a march of Ultras towards Taksim and crowds gathering and surging. Our reporters tell us Ankara and Ismir also joining in protests. Richard Seymour reports in the Guardian here that ‘our Arab Spring’ is a notion being taken more seriously by the hour. follow a livestream here 

BREAKING: citizen journalist Emre Kizilkaya reports that Ultras are throwing flares at police in Taksim (see photos) and his mother sends him a photo of mass protest also in Eskisehir (see photo) Further Breaking: 26yr old woman killed by Police truck (unconfirmed)

Ultras attack police (photo Emer Kizilkaya

Ultras attack police (photo Emer Kizilkaya

Eskisehir in protest (image Emre Kizilkaya @ekizilkaya on twitter)

Eskisehir in protest (image Emre Kizilkaya @ekizilkaya on twitter)

All other photos & videos © rabble

photo (3)

Bank smashed near Taksim Sq

Bank smashed near Taksim Sq

 

Comments

  1. It’s all kicking off. Erdogan is literally bulldozing his way against public opinion by ripping up the last green space in Istanbul for another shopping mall for his cronies . But this is just part of a much bigger picture in a long running battle between liberal rights and an increasingly authoritarian and Islamic government that does whatever it wants and is dismantling attaturk’s legacy of a secular Democratic and modern Turkey. Expect much more to follow.

  2. Pingback: Turkish Protests Escalate: A day of action begins : rabble

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