Standing up for Dignity: Power of Creative Nonviolence on Display in Turkey

Individuals standing up to overwhelming force with silence and dignity in Turkey

A man’s single act of nonviolent defiance has turned into a growing group of people’s silent struggle for the right to protest in Taksim Square. His name Erdem Gündüz, a dancer and a performance artist. Around the world the hashtag #duranadam began trending.

Erdem began standing after police conducted a bag search six hours ago, and he was still standing in the same place staring at the flag of modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, which is hung on the Atatürk Culture Center (AKM) when he was detained by the police. He was shortly released afterwards and this is what he had to say: 

"Maybe the media and people will learn something from this silent standing, this resistance," Gunduz said in an interview with Hurriyet TV. "Maybe they will feel some empathy. I am just an ordinary citizen of this country. We want our voices to be heard."Gunduz said he was protesting in solidarity with demonstrators who were evicted at the weekend from Gezi Park adjoining Taksim, an intervention by police that triggered some of the most violent clashes to date.

About 300 others that had joined him in the silent protest of which 10 were also detained. There whereabouts remain at this moment unknown.  Taksim square has been ground zero in the struggle between the police and protesters over the past three weeks.

 

There are other people standing up in Turkey, we now have a "standing woman" in Ankara silently protesting where the police shot and killed Ethem Sarisuluk, a young man of 26 years of age. Now the hashtag #durankadın has also appeared.

Tonight in Turkey we have witnessed the power of nonviolence to resist brute force and to bring people together in defense of human dignity.

Lets remain vigilant and continue to support the nonviolent demonstrators in Turkey and their just demands by signing this petition from Amnesty International an end to the abuse and an accounting of the extent of the injuries suffered.

Democracy is under attack in Turkey

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel  

All eyes on Turkey. Nonviolent activists have been brutalized and violence is escalating. Solidarity requires that we be vigilant and denounce the abuses taking place. Amnesty International released a statement yesterday. Protests are still underway today, and press reports indicate that nonviolent discipline is not being maintained by some of the demonstrators, but this may also be misinformation.

Turkey is a beautiful country with a great people and history. Concerned about the well being of friends who live there and are caught up in the middle of this. Please remember the best way to resist government brutality is with creative nonviolent resistance and strategic planning. Succumbing to responding with violence to violence dramatically reduces the chances of a successful outcome for those challenging the government.

Below are images from the protests in Turkey today:


Government using violence to put down nonviolent demonstrators yesterday:



Al Jazeera's take on whats going on and how it is spreading:

Turkish government attacks nonviolent protesters in Taksim Square

Update: Nonviolent protesters in Taksim Square attacked with high pressure hoses

Turkey must halt brutal police repression and investigate abuses at Istanbul protest

© Eren Aytuğ / NarPhotos

by Amnesty International
 
The Turkish authorities must order police to stop using excessive force against peaceful protesters in Istanbul and immediately investigate alleged abuses, said Amnesty International after more than a hundred people were injured during an ongoing peaceful demonstration in a city centre park. On 30 and 31 May, police officers used water cannon and tear gas to disperse a peaceful protest against the destruction of Gezi Park in central Istanbul.

More than a hundred protesters are reported to have been injured during police interventions. Some suffered head injuries and at least two people had to receive emergency surgery.

Amnesty International activists who were observing the protest were also hit with truncheons and tear gassed.

“The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part” said John Dalhuisen, Director of Europe and Central Asia Programme at Amnesty International.

“The use of tear gas against peaceful protestors and in confined spaces where it may constitute a serious danger to health is unacceptable, breaches international human rights standards and must be stopped immediately.”

“The Turkish authorities must order police to halt any excessive use of force and urgently investigate all reports of abuse. They have a duty to ensure that people can exercise their right to free expression and assembly.”

On Friday afternoon, riot police were preventing access to Gezi Park but an estimated 4,000 people were continuing their protest in the area. Police reportedly continued their use of water cannon to repress the protest. A further protest has been called for 7pm local time on Friday evening.

“Any decision to forcefully disperse a peaceful protest should be taken only as a last resort, and police intervention should always be measured,” said John Dalhuisen.

Protests against the closure of Gezi Park began on 28 May with a few hundred activists taking part initially.

The park is facing demolition to make way for the construction of a shopping centre as part of a large scale regeneration of the area.

Excessive force is routinely used by law enforcement officials to disperse protests in Turkey.

Four weeks ago, police in Istanbul used excessive force to disperse a May Day demonstration.