İstiklal Avenue after bombing: Busy as usual

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İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, İstanbul which was closed after the explosion of yesterday was reopened to pedestrian traffic in the morning. bianet was in İstiklal also.

At 9:30 am. the crowd seen every morning on the Taksim Square was only a little less. The square was full of tourists, shopkeepers and people in their way to work.

Additionally there were police officers and vehicles at each corner throughout the İstiklal Avenue. Politicians were entering the İstiklal Avenue together with their many guards. The traffic polices in Taksim square were checking the vehicles entering İstiklal avenue.

When we walked from the Taksim square towards the İmam Adnan street where the explosion took place, the first thing that got our attention was the benches placed on İstiklal Avenue in July 2021 by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality shaped like flower pots. The seating parts had been removed from them at night.

There was a crowd at the entrance to the İmam Adnan street made up of journalists, police officers, municipality officers, politicians and others.

The bench where the explosion took place had been removed and a platform was places in order for people to lay flowers on.

The municipal police was distributing carnations to the people who were then leaving these flowers on this platform.

Journalists from all around the world were also on the spot in order to report to their outlets. The Mango shop which suffered damage in the explosion was being restored.

When we walked from here towards the Galatasaray Square police vehicles were lined up in front of the Beyoğlu district governorship and and plain-clothes policeman by these vehicles were in a rush.

The avenue seemed as always when we walked towards the Galatasaray square and the '50the Year Memorial closed to the Saturday Mothers/People again on the 700th week was blocked by police as usual.

In the afternoon on the other hand flags of Türkiye were placed on both sides of the İstiklal Avenue. People are walking on the avenue surrounded with the national flags. [Update/3:13 pm.]

CLICK - İstiklal Street 1 Day After Bomb Attack

(HA/PE/VK)