Yesterday we opened our terrace season and had a short break from our computers. Because since two days, except this little break at the terrace and sleeping a couple of hours after the sun rise this morning, we spent almost all of our time in front of our computers, sharing photos, videos and information about what’s happening in Istanbul.
Normally, we don’t talk about politics in A Cat From London but today we will make an exception and talk about Taksim Gezi Park. Since ten years, the islamist government is doing unbelievable things in Turkey. Lately, they decided to built a shopping mall (Istanbul has around 60 shopping malls and don’t need another one) at the Gezi Park in the main square of Istanbul.
Activists, resisted to save 90 years old (same as the republic) trees. The government sent police forces, thousands of them against their own people. Police used force to pacifist activists (even the animals, lots of dogs lost their lifes in two days) and at the end, it was not the thing of saving the trees and a park anymore, it was saving the human rights and the democracy. Police used pepper spray directly to the faces, used gas bombs and plastic bullets targeting the faces and vital organs. Hundreds are injured. Turkish media (except three channels) didn’t published any of this and all informed and communicated by social media.
Today, the people, young, elder, turk, kurd, muslim, christian, jewish all are united and occupied Gezi Park in Taksim Istanbul and don’t give up from our trees, our democracy and the human rights. Here are some photos of Istanbul:
Police using pepper spray (Photo by Osman Orsal –injured also by tear gas canister thrown by police – Reuters)
How many for one? (Photo by Yücel Tunca)
Turkey rises (Photo by Burak Akbulut -Anatolian Agency)
These are not clouds, gas bombs in Taksim Square! (Photo by Osman Orsal-Reuters)
Gas bomb canisters yesterday in Istiklal Avenue, in one of the main streets of Istanbul. (photographer unknown)
All the smoke you see is gas bomb not fire. (photographer unknown)
Photo source: Occupy Gezi
A Cat From London 
Biri Eskişehir de eylemde, diğeri Kızılay Meydanın da çocuklarımın. Benim yüreğimse pır pır.
Kızılay bugün inanılmazdı. Bu başkaldırı kibre karşı onu gördüm .
Sağ salim dönerler sana kuzuların umarım Tülinciğim. Halk silkindi, ayağa kalktı, birleşti. Halkına ihanet edenlerin nasıl korktuğunu gördük bugün. Çok öpüyorum.
Bir insanin kibri ve inatciligi, kendini dev aynasinda gormesi bizi nerelere getirdi. Umarim elimizde somut sonuclarla bu isten cikariz. Agzina saglik…
Biz de güzel günler göreceğimizi umuyoruz İlke. Uzaktan takip ederken heyecanlıydık ama gidip yakından tanık olunca (gazımızı mazımızı yiyince 🙂 ), daha da umut dolduk. Teşekkürler, senin de ağzına sağlık. Sevgiler…