Why the Extreme Show of Force on May Day?
Photo from RadikalOn May 1 an army of police in Istanbul closed off Taksim Square and surrounding streets to prevent a planned labor union rally.
Excerpt from a Turkish Daily News article (my comments are at the bottom):
Thursday’s outrageous scenes of brutality, firing gas bombs into hospitals, trade union and political party buildings, beating up protestors already stupefied with the overpowering effect and amount of tear gas, civilians crying or fainting, a journalist with a broken arm, pointing guns at unarmed people, aiming tear gas canisters directly at people or buildings – most of the damage in shops around Istiklal Street was due to this fact – and the overall scene of a city under siege, with the help of 30,000 policemen and thousands of commandos, cannot be excused. The official line in the tear-gassing of Sisli Etfal Hospital’s emergency ward said “a policeman dropped his canister by mistake,” but … a journalist who witnessed the event, said police deliberately gas-bombed the ward, despite pleas from the sick and their relatives…
Labor Day has traditionally been a litmus test in Turkish politics. And this year it served its purpose well, by planting well-justified doubts in the minds of millions that the AKP, viewed by many in the past as a force to strengthen democracy, may in fact be only interested in strengthening its political grip on power, using democracy as a rhetoric only when needed in its fight against the so-called status quo. (for full article, click here)(for the varied media responses, click here)
Photo by Anadolu Ajansi
JW: I heard the same things from a participant in the rally. She also mentioned that she saw young people fighting with the police, and that the police threw tear gas canisters inside the labor union (DISK) building while everyone was still inside. The governor had promised the use of “measured force”, but this seemed an outright attack on the labor unions. It was puzzling, since the AKP should be concerned about keeping the good will of the working class. Recently, AKP has clashed with the labor unions on some elements of a new bill curtailing retirement and other social security rights. Last week, Prime Minister Erdogan asked rhetorically, “Should the foot rule the head?”, implying the low status of workers and insulting them. It caused outrage and wide press coverage. The woman I spoke to who attended the rally thinks the police repression of the unions in Istanbul might have been AKP’s response: “WE’RE in charge here.”
Although not a supporter of the AKP, she was very sorry that the May 1st incidents served to make the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) look good. The CHP is in opposition in parliament, but has no real support. (An article about CHP in The Economist this week refers to Deniz Baykal as the CHP’s “Teflon leader”. click here).
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