From a protester in Turkey
I am fine, so are my friends, at least the ones I could reach. Istanbul is living a hell. They are trying to kill the city, the voice of its people. The situation is terrible. The police attacked the part while it was full of thousands of people, including hundreds of small children, old people, disabled and also helpless animals. People were gassed mercilessly. Hundreds of us took refuge to Divan Hotel, which has always opened its doors to protesters. It was hell. Gas entered the hotel together with the protesters. They told us to go to the conference rooms downstairs. There were many children and many hurt people. It was terrible. Like scenes from a gas chamber, a horror film. It was hard to breath, our skin hurt, it was very hot, we sweat like crazy, people cried, fainted, threw up, begged for help…
After about an hour and a half, they told us it was safe to flee towards Harbiye. We crossed hundreds of policemen and many armed vehicles in order to reach Nisantasi. The people had taken to the streets to protect this barbarity, shouting and banging pots. Two of my aunts (my friend’s aunts) were on the street, soaked, an armed vehicle had thrown water on them, they are in their late 60s and they were almost thrown to the wall.
As for the event I mentioned the other day, Kizilay, the Turkish Red Crescent, did indeed refuse to transport hurt people, and a very reliable source (doctor) narrated me the event. The doctors in a small private hospital had to pay a private company to transport a seriously injured person who in the end survived. It’s a scandal. We are living in a police state. The police arrested 49 lawyers invading the Palace of Justice the other day. Now they are trying to arrest every single doctor and nurse who aids the injured protestors. The government and the governor of Istanbul still talk of “marginal groups”. The mask of democracy and the rule of law have fallen in this country. Pray for us and spread the news.
Again I ask, are our politicians going to condemn this barbarity. If this was happening in China or Iran David Cameron would jump at the chance to talk about “democracy” and “human rights”.
When it’s one of our NATO “allies”… silence.
[Thousands fill streets in Harbiye – Breaking News]
MH
