Police intervene against ‘We cannot make a living’ protest in Ankara

* Photo: MA

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Amid the deepening economic crisis in Turkey, the Labor and Democracy Forces wanted to make a press statement in front of the Çankaya Municipality in the capital city of Ankara yesterday (November 28).

Having blockaded the area where the press statement would be held, police officers did not allow the statement to take place, intervening against the group who wanted to gather in front of the municipality, chanting the slogan, "Government, resign". While citizens dispersed to side streets after the intervention, the police took several people into custody, including journalist Öznur Değer from JinNews agency, who was covering the protest.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the police had not allowed journalists to approach the area, either. They detained six people who wanted to enter the site of the protest. The ones who were made to get in the detention vehicle chanted the slogan, "Government, resign."

The police battered the journalists who tried to film the incident and tried to move them away from the scene of the incident.

Hit by tear gas in the eye, a woman named Songül Doğan passed out. One person who protested the detention of protesters was also battered and detained. Taking JinNews Ankara correspondent Öznur Değer into custody as well, the police handcuffed her behind her back. She was battered during the detention and her camera was seized by the police.

Following this first police intervention, the police intervened against the ones who wanted to cross from the bus stop to the municipality. Nine people were battered and taken into custody there. Affected by the tear gas and having asthma, a citizen who protested the police intervention there had a seizure and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.

17 people in total were reportedly battered and taken into custody during the protest. Some of the detained were Deniz Gündoğdu, Songül Doğan, Zarife Çamalan, Vedat Karahan, Hüseyin Gökoğlu, Mustafa Feroğlu, Hasan Akman and journalist Öznur Değer. (RT/SD)