Students Protest Pro-ISIS Group Violence on Campus

Istanbul University students protested the violence on campus on Friday caused by a pro-Islamic State and the Levant (ISIS) group after another group put up posters condemning ISIS violence. 

“We will demand ISIS and its collaborator AKP to account for their actions. Campuses are ours!” a banner wrote. Students also chanted slogans against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and ISIS.  

A statement, both read in Turkish and Kurdish, claimed that Friday’s (September 26) attacks were perpetrated by Muslim Youth (Müslüman Gençlik), an alleged pro-ISIS group. 

“The voice of peace”

The statement claimed that the aforementioned ISIS’s members in Turkey camouflaged itself under Muslim Youth and declared that they would remove posters depicting ISIS massacres as “ISIS doesn’t commit any massacres”.  

“Hiding their faces, the group attacked with bats two of our friends, leaving them wounded,” the statement read. 

It also added that the university security guards took no measures during the attacks. 

On campus yesterday

In the aftermath of the incident, bianet interviewed various students on campus who reminded that similar incidents also occurred previously. 

“Two individuals approached to the corner with anti-ISIS posters and said that they are giving 15 minutes to remove everything. They said these banners violated Islam” students counted. 

Later on, hiding their faces, the group attacked, wounding two students. 

“Among them, there were students. But we aren’t sure whether all of them were enrolled students,” they added.  

They also added that the same group attempted to enter campus again yesterday - which was confronted by police and TOMA vehicles. (BK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.