But not for the officials of Turkey. In the heart of Istanbul there is a square known to many of this city visitors as Taksim Square. We the locals call it Taksim and its often a meeting point. Right next to this square there stands a very pretty park- Gezi. Few days ago the state officials announced its plans to destroy the park and built yet another shopping mall in this booming historical city (By the end of 2013 the number of total shopping malls in Istanbul alone is estimade to reach 133). Why? Its a good question an answer to which has not been given- at least not by those very state officials, not yet.
Today I'm here (May 31st) just like many residents of Istanbul demanding anullment of the construction plans and keeping the park safe and the area green. I breathed in wonderful tear gas, I saw many injured people, police use watercannons to disperse the crowds and its not over yet. The clash between peaceful protesters and violent police continues. Its been going on for the past few days and looks like will persist.
Unfortunately I cannot post any photos at the moment as I am in a remote location but will share some of the sound records and ımages later as soon as I get a chance.
For now please follow #direngeziparki for furhter updates on Twitter and share whats happening here. All that people want is to protect their park.
Stay safe.
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