Police Attacks Protestors in Kadıköy, Dikmen, Armutlu, Izmir

Last night, several demonstrations across Turkey were held to to commemorate Ahmet Atakan - a METU Resistance protestor who died on Monday night. Police response came in the form of tear gas and water cannons. 

Responding to the police violence on Tuesday night, activists groups called for action last night at 8:30 pm local time. 

Roughly 5,000 demonstrators assembled in Kadikoy district, Istanbul. When they reached Kadıköy Evlendirme Dairesi around 10 pm, they were confronted by 2 TOMA vehicles and riot police forces who blocked the road. 

Initially, police vehicles made announcements, saying that they wouldn’t disperse demonstrators unless they throw stones and molotov cocktails. 

However, two minutes after the first announcement came a second one that declared the gathering as illegal and ordered the protestors to disperse immediately.  

Upon that, police vehicles used tear gas bombs and water cannon - an intervention responded by protestor stones. 

A kissing couple showed up in front of police vehicles to stop their engines. The couple did the same for protestors who threw stones. After the couple disappeared, TOMAs headed to barricades and dispersed protestors. 

Clashes resumed through the night, occasionally on main streets and side streets of Kadikoy district. 

Rumor said that Süreyya Opera House was transformed into a protestors infirmary - an allegation that resulted in police takeover of the building. Other rumors claimed that police transformed the opera into police headquarters. 

Kadıköy Municipality dispatched a twitter massage, saying that a vet was assigned in  Barış Manço Culture to treat police gas-affected stray animals.  

Clashes were also observed in other districts of Istanbul including Beşiktaş and Gazi neighborhood. 

Hatay 

Clahes also resumed in the southern province of Hatay province - the hometown of Ahmet Atakan. Several protestors took the streets again, demanding justice for Abdullah Cömert amd Ahmet Atakan, as well as urging authorities to stop the alleged tree cuttings for a road construction in METU campus, Ankara. Riot police forces attacked demonstrators with gas bomb canisters. 

Ankara

Demonstrators assembled in Dikmen around 8 pm local time last night to commemorate Ahmet Atakan. Police response came immediately, forming a huge teas gas cloud in downtown Ankara. Police also used water cannons to disperse protestors in Dikmen district. Some protestors also raised their voices against a planned construction of Mosque-Cemevi-Refectory in Tuzluçayır - a gathering that was confronted by police. 

Izmir under tear gas cloud

Roughly 2,000 demonstrators assembled on the steps of ruling AKP headquarters in downtown Izmir to support METU Resistance and commemorate Ahmet Atakan. Police declined protestors’ demand and attacked with tear gas and water cannons. The group assembled in Alsancak Gündoğdu Square around 8 pm local time and blocked Cumhuriyet Boulevard to traffic. Police intervention occurred as they neared AKP headquarters. (EKN/BK/HK/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.