------
organisers dealing with the police in harringay were told that a planned solidarity march in north london would not be authorised.
they went ahead anyway, and at 5pm on saturday evening more than 2000 people assembled with banners, pots, pans and whistles at manor house. their own stewards expertly redirected traffic without incident as they marched the length of green lanes and through wood green to the civic centre where they held a rally listening to speeches from various turkish organisations and other supporting groups.
bizarrely, the police were completely absent. not one cop in sight, and despite the numbers, the march passed with the minimum of disruption and of course completely peacefully.
by contrast, all week, police have been 'facilitating' protests in london by violently pushing much smaller groups out of roads, and seriously disrupting the west end traffic with convoys of riot vans to repress small groups of people following a bicycle sound system.
it is clear that over-the-top repressive policing leads to conflict and a massive waste of resources, on a small scale in the uk and on a massive scale in turkey.
my heart goes out to the people of turkey who have been facing chemicals in the water cannons, as well as tear gas, plastic bullets and totalitarian repression from the authorities. the day-mer group in london have released the following contact details and ask people to send protest messages immediately:
The Turkish Republic, Prime Ministry
Tel: +90 312 422 10 00
E–mail:
bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr Fax: +90 312 422 18 99
Mayor of Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 204555953
E-mail:
basin@istanbul.gov.tr The Turkish Republic Ministry of Internal Affairs
E-mail:
diab@icisleri.gov.tr Fax: +90 312 418 12 60
Turkish Embassy in Britain
Tel: 020 7393 0202
Fax: 020 7393 0066
Turkish Consulate in London
Tel: 020 7591 6900
Fax 020 7591 6911
consulate.london@mfa.gov.tr for sporadic reports from london events @indyrikki
e-mail:
