Los Angeles, USA

In Los Angeles, about 500 people organized through social media in a few hours, and gathered in the Pershing Square, downtown Los Angeles,in order to send their solidarity with the demonstrations held in Gezi Park on 31st of May. During the demonstration, in which NBA player Mehmet Okur participated as well, the following slogans were shouted in both Turkish and English: “Everywhere Taksim, everywhere resistance”, “Erdoğan resign!”

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photo: by Alper Üşümez, 31 May 2013, Los Angeles, USA

On the 1st of June, demonstrators gathered again in front of the Federal Building, carrying banners against the antidemocratic acts and police violence that  taken place in Turkey recently, they have managed to attract the attention of the passing-by people to the resistance. Drivers passing by supported the demonstration and resistance by honking.

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photo: by Sergül Aydöre, 1 June 2013, Los Angeles

On the 2nd of June, around 500 people gathered in the 3rd Street of Santa Monica, a coastal district resembled as “The Istiklal Street of Los Angeles” by Turkish visitors. Poems from Nazım Hikmet and some marches were recited. The following slogans were shouted in English: “Stop violence”, “Erdoğan resign!”, “We are seeing and hearing you Turkey”. Afterwards the group marched with slogans and banners against fascism  through the street which was closed to traffic and managed to draw the attention of people from different social groups. It was seen that the number of participants had exceeded 1000 people at the end.

941453_563709337014498_517298317_nphoto: by Duygu Yücekaya, 2 June 2013, Los Angeles, USA

Demonstrations continues on the 3rd of June in front of the CNN building following the interview of Mevlut Çavuşoğlu by Christiane Amonpour on CNN International. The lies of Çavuşoğlu who labeled the protesters as marginal and other lies by the AKP government were exposed in front of CNN. Slogan “Do not believe AKP’s lies!” was shouted in English. On the banners it was emphasized how CNN Turk broadcast a documentary on penguins on the first days of the resistance ignoring the demosntrations and police violence

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photo: by Gürkan Erdemli, 3rd of June 2013, CNN building, Los Angeles, USA

Over the following days, supporters of Gezi Parkı demonstrations kept gathering in front of the Federal Building. On the 9th of June a common meeting was held in Long Beach by Southern Californian states. The meeting to which around 500 people participated was broadcasted live by Halk TV.

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