First of all—none of these videos are mine. I don’t claim
them. They are from You Tube and Twitter, and have been circulating the social
media that Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdoğan called a scourge. This weekend saw
one of the worst police crackdowns yet in the ongoing police attacks on
protesters in Turkey. (The newspapers here call these attacks ‘interventions’)
The usual tactics were used of course—dousing people with pepper gas (This time
the American Hospital, the German Hospital, and the Dutch Consulate all tasted
the Gas as well as all the hotels and businesses that have been sheltering gas
victims from the beginning, yes the Divan Hotel, but also the Hilton and the
Ramada.) They also used their time honored water canons from the back of a
police tank, but with a little twist. CS liquid pepper gas in the tanks—enough to
cause first degree burns on the skin. At first, the police simply denied that
anything was added to the water. Then Istanbul’s nefarious governor Avni Mutlu
said that it was ‘medicine’ after a picture of police pouring something into a
water tank while wearing gloves appeared on the accursed social media.
Yesterday, the head of police training was interviewed on
Channel A and said that yes, well, liquid CS pepper gas had been added but he
didn’t see the big deal because they had been using that for years (against
whom I wonder?) And people got sprayed with the stuff directly anyway, so why
were they complaining if they added it to water, which was actually a dilution?
He suggested the pictures of people with first degree burns were just fakes or
allergic reactions.
Nevermind that on the
packaging it says ‘Prevent the spread of this solution to sewers, drainage
systems and surface water. Keep away from eyes and skin.’ Other warnings
include ‘Keep away from children. Do not spray directly into open spaces. If
any is spilled clean immediately. If solution comes into contact with eyes or
skin wash immediately with plenty of water.’
The evolving lies—each new crime admitted only when the
scourge of the social media forces them to.
Here is a chilling video of a girl being sprayed with the stuff at Gezi.
Another tactic they are using to disperse protesters is
arming thugs with sticks and knives. Today in the Radikal newspaper, the AK
Party’s district chairman admitted these people were out there but denied the
party had put them on the streets. Never mind this video showing these Brown
Shirts roaming the streets with a police escort.
The police were hunting down doctors treating the wounded as
well—raiding makeshift hospitals.
A new protest started last night—the Standing Man. All over
the country people are just standing still. Last night they filled Taksim
Square. This morning a girl started in Beşiktaş. Of course, the arrests have
ensued. Standing still and doing nothing is now defined as terrorism in Erdoğan’s
Turkey.
Visit www.duranadam.com (standingman.com)
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