Turkey’s Standing Man Protests

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PROTEST// On May 28, 2013, 50 environmentalists protesting against the demolition of Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park were attacked with tear gas and water cannons. The attack sparked outrage among masses and triggered protests across regions. People raised their voices against issues concerning freedom of press, expression, assembly, and the government’s encroachment on Turkey’s secularism. Protesters opposed to the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan came up with a new method of protest—Standing Man. Thousands walked into Taksim Square throughout the day, staring silently at a massive portrait of the country’s founding father hung by the security forces a week before the new method of protest got started. In response, government detained more than 80 protestors, all Left-wingers.

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