Storified by · Sun, Jun 16 2013 12:00:20
Members of the local Turkish community and allies gathered today in front of Kitchener City Hall to demonstrate against the brutal suppression of protestors and media in Turkey, where demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are ongoing.
"It's about democracy and human rights," said Oznur Atalay, one of the organizers of Sunday's protest. "It's about freedom." The protests in Turkey began after the government announced plans to convert Taksim Gezi Park - one of the few green spaces in Istanbul - into a shopping mall. The demonstrations have since evolved into a movement against Erdogan's government, one that is perceived as conservative and religious bent in a country that is known as secularist.
Atalay's entire family currently lives in Istanbul and Ankara, two cities where protest action has been the largest. It's been difficult for her to find out what's happening in Turkey due to mass repression of media throughout the country. She currently gets most of her information via social media, but hopes North American media will soon cover the issue more thoroughly so she can be better informed.
Not every member of the K-W Turkish community is necessarily supportive of today's protest. "Some very strict Muslim people, they support Erdogan, but we don't," noted Atalay.
Atalay hopes this will be just the start of the Turkish solidarity movement in K-W. For her, this is a movement beyond politics. "We were attending the demonstration in Toronto, but Toronto is very far away," said Atalay. "It's just the beginning [in KW]."
"It's about democracy and human rights," said Oznur Atalay, one of the organizers of Sunday's protest. "It's about freedom." The protests in Turkey began after the government announced plans to convert Taksim Gezi Park - one of the few green spaces in Istanbul - into a shopping mall. The demonstrations have since evolved into a movement against Erdogan's government, one that is perceived as conservative and religious bent in a country that is known as secularist.
Atalay's entire family currently lives in Istanbul and Ankara, two cities where protest action has been the largest. It's been difficult for her to find out what's happening in Turkey due to mass repression of media throughout the country. She currently gets most of her information via social media, but hopes North American media will soon cover the issue more thoroughly so she can be better informed.
Not every member of the K-W Turkish community is necessarily supportive of today's protest. "Some very strict Muslim people, they support Erdogan, but we don't," noted Atalay.
Atalay hopes this will be just the start of the Turkish solidarity movement in K-W. For her, this is a movement beyond politics. "We were attending the demonstration in Toronto, but Toronto is very far away," said Atalay. "It's just the beginning [in KW]."
