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Gezi Park, where young people shade from the hot Turkish summer, enjoy the sea view, socialise
and drink with their friends had a happy, almost hippy-like character. For a week prior
to the police intervention, this park was the gathering place for peaceful protesters.
Therefore, the initial attack by the police on the protestors in the park on 31 May was
considered both a physical and a symbolic attack.
Turkish people do not call these events 'protests'; they call the whole set of events 'direnis'
which means 'resistance' in Turkish. This, as a word, embodies the meaning of 'perseverance'
and 'decisiveness' in Turkish language.
Pepper and tear gas bombs, water cannons spraying water containing acid and chemical components and
rubber bullets are being used aplenty on the streets of most Turkish cities today. Men and women alike are being
beaten up. Four people and hundreds of street animals have died so far, and thousands have
been injured including children.
Due to the failure of the Turkish media, young people have found the solution by opening
live
stream channels, forums and social media groups