jelena wrote about the situation at Taksim at mayday 2007. For those of you, dear readers, who don`t understand german, I will try to summarize the thesis: turkish police is less using methods of surveillance and categorizing people in potentially dangerous and harmless than we are used in Europe but more using violence, which is effecting all, like using tear gas. So the chances of people to letting them self be controlled and so not be involved in a conflict is less, and this is in a way also a chance or the “european” or maybe “german” way to control demonstrations is not less dangerous for democracy. - at least this is how I understand her post.
all in all it was a very strange situation to observe the demonstration. I definitly felt some kind of solidarity with those demonstrating, but for to reasons I tried not to be involved to much (and the situation was a little bit like either to be in or tho be out): first I couldn`t really estimate the situation, like I didn`t know, who much risk I would go involving me. The pain İ got by standing 100 m away from exploding tear gas bombs was enough to see, that being in is not really fun. But I definitely respect the courage of those who did go the risk of being hurt in order to fight for the possibility to demonstrate at the place they want to.
the more complicate problem is definitly, that I have to question how much I have in common with those protesters. two years ago I have been to the big, legal rally in kadıköy. here you can find different parties, labour unions and so on, all of them carrying huge turkish flags. nearly all of them have slogans like this:
translation: “neither USA nor EU - total independent turkey” - I have to mention that isçi partisi - “workers party” - is not really a leftist party but seems to be a kemalist party for workers. but nevertheless similar slogans can be said by e.g. TKP - the capitalism is something which is brought from outside into turkish sociaety, nationalism is mobilized against imperialism.
I don`t know, if those protesting in Taksim differ from those protesing in kadıköy, but I am quite sure, that I will not really be able to discuss for example antisemitism with most of them, probably not even nationalism. anyway the situation, that the confrontation with the police was to be feared al the time was not a good time to discuss.
hm, I hope I can discuss the question, who was supporting the protest and what position do they have soon.
