#occupy gezi
/ Marlène Awaad
2013 - The protest in Taksim Square and Gezi Park was initially led by local residents against the destruction of Gezi Park, one of the few green spaces in the center of Istanbul doomed to disappear under the pedestrianization project of Taksim Square. This real estate project involves the reconstruction of the barracks Taksim, a historic building demolished in 1940 to accommodate a shopping center.Given the violence of the police action to remove the occupants of the park, demonstrations spread gradually to other cities in Turkey and also widespread protests with anti-government claims. Protesters invest Gezi Park and Taksim Square in Istanbul; the movement #OccupyGezi was born.
The protesters come from diverse backgrounds; supporters of right as well as left, Turkish nationalists, but also Kurds. The protesters' demands are the initial concerns of local environmental issues such as social issues as the limitations of alcohol sales and the war in Syria.The site has been cleared by the police on June 15. On July 3, the administrative court has suspended the construction.
