Private Security Batters Teacher Staging Protest in Front of Education Ministry

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Teacher Nazife Onay, who was staging a protest demanding that educators Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça who have been on hunger strike for 119 days be reinstated to their jobs, has been battered by private security guards in front of National Education Ministry building.

Nuriye ve Semih'in talepleri için Nazife Onay MEB'e zincirleme eylemi yaptı! Özel güvenliğin Nazife Hocayı boğmaya çalıştığı anlar! pic.twitter.com/ucbrb617ot

— Semih-Esra Özakça (@SemihOzakca) 5 Temmuz 2017

The private security guard pressed on throat of Onay who attempted to chant a slogan, pushed her head back and gripped her jaw. Afterwards, the police in front of the ministry detained Onay and Nazan Bozkurt who wanted to support Onay.

MEB önünde Nuriye ve Semih'in sesi tüm işkenceye rağmen yine duyuruldu. @onay_nazife ve Nazan Bozkurt gözaltında.#NuriyeSemihHerYerde pic.twitter.com/AOiW3HmGZD

— Acun Karadağ (@acun_karadag) 5 Temmuz 2017

Onay attempted to stage a protest with a banner reading “May Nuriye, Semih be reinstated to their jobs”.

About Nuriye Gülmen and Semih Özakça

On January 6, 2017, Nuriye Gülmen was discharged from her position through the Statutory Decree No. 679 issued under the State of Emergency.

On October 29, 2016, Semih Özakça was discharged from his position through the Statutory Decree No. 675 issued under the State of Emergency.

On March 9, 2017 Gülmen and Özakça went on an indefinite and non-alternate hunger strike in front of the Human Rights Statute on Yüksel Street in Turkey's capital city of Ankara.

They were taken into custody and later released several times during their hunger strike.

Being charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization", "opposing to the Law on Assembly and Demonstration" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", they were arrested on May 23. (AS/TK)