While reading InAntalya's excellent diary, Protests Continue Across Turkey, it was mentioned that people at home are participating in the protests by banging pots and pans and turning their lights on and off. I had been focused more on the daytime protest activities and the police brutality and I had never heard of the lights method of protesting before. Curious to see what it was like, I went to YouTube and Twitter and found many videos there. I'm simply amazed by the response of the people of Istanbul and other places in Turkey and how they so cleverly found ways to join in the protest.
How clever of the people who, for whatever reason, could not physically attend the protest to stand in solidarity. Many of us can't always join in. Some of us have disabilities or limitations. Others would risk their livelihoods if they were seen or arrested. Many of us have children and can't leave them at home and can't risk taking them out into a protest that has become violent. But the people of Istanbul chose not to be silent. They went to their windows, doors and balconies and made noise. They turned their lights on and off. Others were in cars and other vehicles, beeping their horns.
In one video, the person taking the video said this:
"Istanbul. All the city is turning on and off the lights supporting the protest in Taksim and now in all the cities... It's getting bigger and bigger... Every one of us is awake in all of Istanbul. It's now 2 a.m. It's getting bigger and bigger."
This is truly amazing. Over the past few years, we have seen various methods of protest spreading from city to city, country to country. The Arab Spring, the Indignados, the Casseroles and Occupy. The gay rights equality protests. The protests from decades past like the anti-war protests of the 60's and 70's, the civil rights movement.
When the media constantly slants the coverage against protesters, putting emphasis on negative and assymetrical actions by protesters who engage in violence during peaceful protests and when the authorities lowball the number of protesters, and when the media does not cover protests at all, we have no way of really knowing how much support we have from the public. By doing what they did, the people at home left the protesters no doubt about how much support they had.
I think this is a game changer.
Watch this. It's amazing.
Occupy Gezi Protest - Beylikdüzü / İstanbul June 1
Right now in istanbul, all the city turning the lights on and off supporting the protesters.
All the city in Istanbul turning their lights on and off supporting the protesters [6-01-2013]
Istanbul protests June 1, 2013
Police House messaging with it's lights across the city during Istanbul Riots June 1st 2013
And tonight, the same thing is happening again. One video appears to be farther outside of the city center. Another is from Andana.
Today again noisy protest in our quarter - viewed from our living room. Around 21 hrs the noisy pot hitting starts and in some flat the lights are flickering - it is somehow like the atmosphere of the "Monday demonstrations"...
2. Juni 2013 - Proteste in Tarabya/Istanbul
Protests in Adana 02-06-2013
Occupy Gezi Protest - Beylikdüzü / İstanbul June 2
People still protest the government with lights, potteries and horns...
Has this been happening for two or three consecutive nights now? Some are calling for all the world to join in.
Solidarity from Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park.
Protest in Solidarity with Istanbul Gezi Park - Proclamation - Zuccotti Park, New York City
In New York City, protests spoken (and sung) in Turkish.
New York'ta Taksim protestosu
Support and help from Turks from NY at Zuccotti Park