On June 1, a group of five hundred people gathered in downtown Boston to support the protesters in Turkey who are struggling for democracy. In a press statement, they reacted against police brutality and anti-democratic policies of the government. They condemned the silence of the mainstream media and stated that every person has a right to know more about the struggle for democracy. In the statement they also condemned the “life style imposition” prevalent recently and the harsh intervention measures against women’s body, LBGT people, the rights of minorities and the nature. They stated that these policies do not conform to democratic values and suggested that the freedom of expression and opposition to the government are the basic rights of the people. They demanded that oppression and police brutality end immediately, those who are responsible to account for their wrongdoings, social justice is provided for all in line with the rights and freedoms of the peoples of Turkey. The statement ended with condolences for the families of those who died and wishes the people of Turkey for speedy recovery from the physical and psychological traumas.
In the protests, people shouted slogans such as “Erdogan resign” and slogans that swithced parts of Erdogan’s name with similarly sounding words meaning police baton, water cannon and teargas.
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