Gezi Park Under Blockade Again on 5th Year

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* Photos: Tansu Pişkin

Since people weren't allowed to enter Gezi Park, no statement was made this year as well.

Police barriers were placed around Taksim Gezi Park on May 30 for the commemoration to be held on 5th anniversary of the Gezi Resistance.

Those who came at 7 p.m. yesterday (April 31) to mark 5th anniversary of the Gezi Resistance rallied in front of the building of Union of Chambers of Turkish Architects and Engineers (TMMOB). The demonstrators marhced to French Consulate.

However, the police who set up barricades here didn't allow the marching this year too. The statement prepared for the commemoration wasn't read out in protest of the police blockade.

Mücella Yapıcı from the Taksim Solidarity read out the statement prepared by TMMOB Chamber of Architects İstanbul Metropolitan branch, then the demonstration ended.

The people who were killed during the Gezi Resistance were marked in the march. Slogans "State of Emergency will be gone, statutory decrees will be gone, [presidential] palace will be gone; Gezi will remain", "Resist Afrin, Resist İstanbul" were chanted.

Taksim Solidarity constituents, political party representatives, Gülsüm Elvan who is the mother of Berkin Elvan who lost his life during the resistance, mother Emel Korkmaz and brother Gürkan Korkmaz of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, who lost his life during the resistance, Sayfi Sarısülük who is the mother of Ethem Sarısülük who lost his life in the resistance, Fahriye Yıldırım who is the mother of Medeni Yıldırım who was shot to death in Lice, Hasan Ferit Gedik's mother Nuray Gedik, Mehmet Ayvalıtaş's father Ali Ayvalıtaş attended the commemoration.

Laborist Movement Party (EHP), Revolutionary Party, Socialist Solidarity Platform (SODAP), Kaldıraç, Struggle Association, Feminist Amfi, Diren Üniversite (Resist University), Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu, CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu, lawyer Can Atalay, Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Community Houses Chair and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP candidate Oya Ersoy, HDP İstanbul Provincial Chair Esengül Demir supported the demonstration. (TP/ÇT/PT/TK)