Firat News: Gezi Park closed to people on World Peace Day

Taksim’s Gezi Park was closed by police on Sunday to prevent people from gathering in the area to mark the World Peace Day.

The closure which came after the police mobilization in the area as of early morning has reportedly been ruled following the calls made on social media to form a human chain at the park and many other places in Istanbul.

On the other hand, Istanbul police have also prevented the people who gathered in the district of Beşiktaş to make a human chain under the slogan “hand to hand for peace”. Police barricaded the people in the area as they started to march to the İskele Square following a press release they issued to remember the Gezi protestors killed by police.

Five people were killed, 7681 people were wounded, 2841 detained and among them 70 were remanded in custody as a result of brutal police interventions during Gezi Park protests across the country from 27 May to 24 June.

Protests were sparked by a group of environmentalists who did not leave the park area resisting to prevent the demolition of the park as part of Taksim pedestrianization project. Demonstrations soon expanded to other cities as more and more people took to the streets across the country in protest against the practices and policies of the ruling AKP government.

Firat News
1 September 2013
Source: firatnews.com