Bloody May Day

Hundreds of Turks aimed to assemble today at Taksim (the main city square) to commemorate the deaths that fell thirty year ago when during a same protest the police killed 34 of them. Civil society largely gathered, but didn't succeed in a holding a peaceful manifestation as the police dispersed them. This didn't happen in a friendly way: water canons and tear gas were used through the thousands and thousands of police men that gathered. According to the protesters also peper spray was used.

Currently I am in Turkey for a meeting and hence experienced how the civil society was opressed by the police in their strive for better working conditions. The current political tensions in the country apparently made the authorities afraid that the protest (of mostly politically left demonstrants) could evoke in a violent meeting. For this reason the demonstration was forbidden - a legal demonstration took place at the other side of Istanbul (and also in Ankara).

Whilst heading to the headquarters of LambdaIstanbul I had to cross Taksim square. My first attempt failed immediately as I inhaled tear gas and was therefore forced to leave the square. The second attempt was succesful - but whilst we head into the main road protesters gathered exactly in the street where our meeting was supposed to be. Standing in between the crowd we had to run for the police and again inhaled tear gas. I didn't know the effects of this gas - but it gives a horrible feeling in your longs, makes you cry and breating becomes difficult. This is apparently how democracy can be controlled.

Yesterday evening Erdogan called for unity in the society. His speech was supported by pictures of new schools and roads which were built under his leadership.

You would expect the Turkish government to look for constructive ways to enable civil society to assemble instead of using such unnecessary violence.