Update from 24 June on the massive June Days mobilisation in Turkey and highlights of music produced in solidarity with the protests.
Last Saturday (22 June) hundred thousands gathered in Taksim Square for commemorating martyred comrades of the resistance. However while people were leaving the Square peacefully at 8 pm, police once again attacked over crowds and until morning, people clashed against police.
On Sunday, hundred thousands met in Kadıköy to commemorate the 20th year of the Sivas Massacre in which Islamist fascist groups surrounded a hotel in Sivas city and killed 40 progressive intellectuals and artists, who had been there for a festival, by burning them .
In Ankara as well, ten thousands gathered to protest government and police attacked over people. In Izmir, Eskişehir, Bursa and many other cities and towns people insist on their rights and liberties.
Taksim Solidarity, a coalition composed of over 120 mass organizations including the union DISK, declared that struggle will continue until the fundamental demands are achieved. On Saturdays, people will gather in main squares of cities and everyday at 9 pm, there will be mass meetings in public parks in each district where people discuss and share their ideas as a democratic platform of the direct democracy.
From the other hand, Prime Minister Erdogan organizes counter mass meetings against the mass mobilization, aiming to consolidate its support and polarize the society. He repeatedly lies and insults protestors by exploiting religious and national feelings of the society and by claiming that protestors were drinking alcohol in mosques and attacking women wearing headscarfs which is proofed to be wrong. Additionally, government started a"witch hunt" and arrested over 100 people.
It is estimated by Taksim Solidarity that almost 10 million people participated to the protests. Yesterday the Ministry of Interior stated that in 79 cities (there are 81 cities in Turkey), 2.5 million people joined demonstrations. However it is clear that alone in Istanbul over 2 million gathered in Taksim Square. However if it was even 2.5 million, this also demonstrates the fact that this is the biggest challenge to the authoritarian-one man rule of the AKP Government.
The June Days of the mobilization of the society in Turkey also provided inspiration to the art and many artistic groups showed their creativity to support democratic and peaceful uprising of people.
Aside in "Media files" you may find some of the best known musical and video products of the June Days.
Find over 100 "Çapulcu Songs" here.
Find below a picture gallery of some of the "Icons" of the protests.