Tag Archives: protests

New strategies of protest and old tactics of repression

Posted on June 20, 2013 by heissenstat

In my “day job,” I am a historian, specializing in Modern Turkey, and so I can say with some confidence that the protests of the past three weeks are unprecedented in Turkish history.  As some observers have noted, these protests … Continue reading →

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Amnesty video highlights on-going nature of crisis

Posted on June 6, 2013 by heissenstat

Amnesty International has created a short video in English in which Amnesty International Researcher, Andrew Gardner, explains the on-going crisis in Turkey. The video highlights both the nature of the crisis, in which excessive force by police “has reached new … Continue reading →

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A report from the Amnesty office in Istanbul

Posted on June 1, 2013 by heissenstat

Our office in Istanbul writes that last night they hosted dozens of injured protesters in their office.  It was a sleepless night and the air stank of tear gas. Twenty volunteer doctors worked in Amnesty’s Istanbul office, which effectively served … Continue reading →

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Abuses against protestors in Turkey: Amnesty calls for Urgent Action [Updated]

Posted on June 1, 2013 by heissenstat

With tens of thousands of protestors crossing by foot across the bridge connecting the Asian and European sides of the city it is clear that the protests in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey are intensifying.  News reports indicate that “police … Continue reading →

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Gezi Park goes global

Posted on May 31, 2013 by heissenstat

It has been a long hard night in Istanbul and we still know little about the exact scale of the protests (though, by all accounts, they were massive) or the exact extent of police abuses (though there is little question … Continue reading →

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More disturbing Images from Istanbul

Posted on May 29, 2013 by heissenstat

It has become a grim pattern.  Peaceful protests confronted by legions of police.  The use of water cannons or, as was the case yesterday, tear gas. Allegations of excessive force, which are almost never investigated.  According to media sources, security … Continue reading →

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On METU Protests, Amnesty Demands an Investigation (updated)

Posted on December 21, 2012 by heissenstat

The normally quiet campus of Middle East Technical University was turned into a warzone earlier this week.  On Tuesday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the campus was met by several hundred student protesters, carrying signs and shouting slogans.  They, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Amnesty International, Excessive Force, Freedom of Expression, Turkey, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment