Yesterday I noticed from several Twitter feeds that protests had broken out in Istanbul. The flash point in this case was the attempted bulldozing of trees in Taksim Square to make way for a new construction project.
The police reacted…or rather overreacted.
From Reuters:
Thousands of demonstrators massed on streets surrounding Istanbul’s central Taksim Square, long a venue for political unrest, while protests erupted in the capital, Ankara, and the Aegean coastal city of Izmir.
Broken glass and rocks were strewn across a main shopping street near Taksim. Primary school children ran crying from the clouds of tear gas, while tourists caught by surprise scurried to get back to luxury hotels lining the square.
From what was available it appears that protests have been peaceful by and large. The police reaction has been disquieting in no uncertain terms.
From The Guardian:
This morning, Turkish police surrounded protesters in Taksim Gezi park, the central square in Istanbul, blocked all exits and attacked them with chemical sprays and teargas.
An Occupy-style movement has taken off in Istanbul. The ostensible issue of conflict is modest. Protesters started gathering in the park on 27 May, to oppose its demolition as part of a redevelopment plan. But this is more than an environmental protest. It has become a lightning conductor for all the grievances accumulated against the government.
In the event that the government decides on stricter measures of control here are some access numbers for people to dial out. Please note that we at Liquidmatrix have not tested these numbers. Please use measures such as Tor to protect yourself.
To use Twitter Account via SMS from Turkey, send START to 2444 on Avea, KKTC Telsim, Vodafone, on Turkcell to 2555. #opgezi #occupygezi
— maltejk (@maltejk) June 1, 2013
These landlines for dialup access from Turkey are being reposted here as the page in question is currently down.
“Dial-up lines
These dial-up numbers are meant to help you connect to the Internet in case of blackout. Please be aware that they don’t prevent wiretapping (usual care applies, like using HTTPS) and they do cost the price of an international call.
France (provided by FDN)
Phone Number: +33172890150
Username: toto
Password: toto
Sweden (provided by Gotanet)
Phone Number: +46708671911
Username: toto
Password: toto
The Netherlands (provided by XS4ALL)
Phone Number: +31205350535
Username: xs4all
Password: xs4all
Report a broken line
If you’re experiencing issues with one of the lines listed above please let us know. If you have a dial-up line and want to help people to connect, feel free to contact us and we’ll list it.”
And in parting, the part that I find really troubling is that as of 8:13 am EST CNN had this as their home page. Missing the boat entirely.
