Police Remove Benches as Well on 70th Day of Hunger Strike

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Police intervened the people who have been supporting the hunger strike in turns which was initiated by academic Nuriye Gülmen and teacher Semih Özakça demanding to be reinstated to their positions, and entered its 70th day today (May 17).

Gülmen and Özakça had started their protest 190 days ago and it has been the fourth time the police have attacked since the 65th day of the protest.

Police have also removed the benches on the hunger strike area. 12 people taken into custody have been released. The people supporting the hunger strike in shifts remain on watch.

About Gülmen and Özakça

Nuriye Gülmen was employed at Eskişehir Osmangazi University.

After her contract was not renewed, she brought a lawsuit and won. Seven months later, she started to work at Selçuk University. A day after she started her job, she was suspended from her duty based on the "FETÖ-PDY (Fethullahist Terror Organization-Parallel State Structure) investigation launched into her. She was discharged on January 6, 2017 via the Statutory Decree No. 679.

Semih Özakça was a classroom teacher at Mazıdağı Cumhuriyet Primary School in Mardin. He was discharged via the Statutory Decree No. 675 over "being linked with terror organizations".

Gülmen has been in front of Human Rights Monument on Yüksel Street in Ankara to stage a sit-in since November 9, and Özakça since November 23.

On March 11, they declared that they would go on a permanent non—rotational hunger strike. They were detained on March 9 and they went on hunger strike in custody. (BK/DG)

* Photograph: Semih-Esra Özakça‏ / Twitter