Protest in Turkey

This is a temporary holding space for videos.....further discussion will follow when we can.

We were in Istanbul about a week after the first demonstrations at Taksim square.  As we walked across the bridge separating the two parts of the city, we unexpectedly encountered a "parade" (i.e. peaceful demonstration) heading toward the park. (The first video.)  We joined them.  The second video is of the mostly young, enthusiastic demonstrators walking toward me.  The three that follow are of posters that were mounted on a glass wall in the square; you'll hear our Turkish friend, Erkut, translating what they say.

And here are the stills of the demonstration the day we happened to be there.  the first photo is of the main street leading to Taksim square.  It is jammed with people and flags on a lovely, sunny afternoon.

 I don't know what the words on the sign below say, but I'll find out.

 And this (below)  is the center of the square....some kind of official memorial to which people had affixed flags and posters.

 Below is the only evidence we saw of the earlier violence that had been reported.  We didn't know who had originally wrecked the vehicle, by judging by the fact that (people told us) it had not been removed for several days, we assumed the official forces left it to show how bad the demonstrators had been.  Clearly, the graffiti was layered on over time.