On May 31 2013, state power /Turkish police has used disproportionate force against citizens protesting the the government’s decision to build a shopping centre at the expense of one of Istanbul’s most famous park Gezi Park. Freedom of assembly and the right to express an opinion is a component of the constitutional and fundamental human rights and freedoms. Turkish citizens have used this right peacefully. But İstanbul police use disproportionate force. This situation means the violation of the fundamental rights written at the Constitution. Also this situation is the violation of UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

We see that we are not living in a democratic society, we are living in a country that government uses tear gas against its citizens when they want to use their democratic rights. We condemn this violence.

We announce to the public that at any kind of citizen response using tear gas is the signifier of the severity of a coercive and oppressive government.

Source: alternatifbilisim.org

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