Protesters intent on commemorating their murdered friends attempted to enter the site of the 10 October Ankara Massacre but were met by police barricades on Sunday morning. Despite two attacks featuring tear gas, plastic bullets and truncheons, Ankara residents succeeded in overcoming the barricades and entering the scene of the massacre Ankara residents seeking to […]
Protesters intent on commemorating their murdered friends attempted to enter the site of the 10 October Ankara Massacre but were met by police barricades on Sunday morning. Despite two attacks featuring tear gas, plastic bullets and truncheons, Ankara residents succeeded in overcoming the barricades and entering the scene of the massacre
Ankara residents seeking to lay flowers at the capital’s train station to commemorate those who perished in the 10 October Ankara Massacre came face to face with police barricades on Sunday morning. Despite a double assault by police, members of the public refused to retreat from their goal of commemorating those who perished the previous day. Shouting, “Yesterday you murdered our friends; today we are ready to die” at police, residents managed to overcome the barricade and enter the area in front of the train station.
As mourners attempted to enter the area despite the police barricade, officers fired tear gas at those assembled. In spite of the obstruction, the crowd was able to overcome the barricade, leading police to fire another volley of tear gas and deploy plastic bullets at the protesters.
One lawyer from the Contemporary Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD) was injured in the attack.
Police also attacked those advancing towards the area with truncheons. Other officers attempted to trip up the surging crowd, kicking many protesters.
After the second police attack trained on those outside of the barricades, the group inside the area, which also included the representatives of union and other party organizations, exited the area to join those under attack outside of the barricades. With the crowd refusing to disperse, the police were forced to retreat, allowing the public to advance forward and lay flowers at the site of the massacre.
After laying flowers, the crowd marched towards Sıhhiye Square, the intended destination of the 10 October rally.
In addition to residents, the crowd included the heads of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK), the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), People’s Houses (Halkevleri) General-Secretary Oya Ersoy, Halkevleri Deputy Head Samut Karabulut, People’s Turkish Communist Party (HTKP) Central Committee member Erkan Baş, representatives of Kaldıraç, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, as well as HDP deputies Pervin Buldan, Ertuğrul Kürkçü and Sırrı Süreyya Önder.
Sendika.Org
