Anti-imperialist resistance in Istanbul against NATO

Thousands of demonstrators who were marching for a protest action against NATO were attacked by the police in a labourer district of Istanbul, Okmeydani. The anti-NATO protestors spent the night in a park of Okmeydani. The people of the neighborhood were very interested in the protestors and joined the activities done in the park. Protestors sang songs and shouted slogans until 2 am.

In the morning, at about 8 am. the protestors began gathering for the march. Their aim was to march to Mecidiyekoy, were an anti-NATO street demonstration was to be done. More than 2 thousand people began marching. The fascist Turkish police established barricades on the street which the march was going on and brutally attacked the demonstrators with hundreds of gas bombs, plastic bullets, police armoured vehicles.
Anti-NATO demonstrators, which were consisting of socialist groups such as the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed(ESP), Socialist Democracy Party(SDP) and the Front for Rights and Freedoms(HOC), answered the police with a very strong resistance. The antiimperialists constructed barricades firstly in two main streets and collided with police for about one hour. The demonstrators repelled the police at first by a rain of stones, sticks and molotov coctails. The police ranks dissolved and they had to step back.
With gathering its power again, the police started another attack to the demonstrators, and the antiimperialists retreated back inside the streets of Okmeydanı. They set up two barricades to prevent the police from entering the neighbourhood. Barricades were set up in nearly every street of Okmeydanı.
The heavy gas bombing of the police created a gas cloud which affected the whole district. The demonstrators organized within temselves “glove teams” who wore work gloves in their hands and threw back tens of gas bombs back to the police. They also organized “slingshot teams” who threw the police stones and iron marbles. Most of the demonstrators had gas masks in their faces.
26 police and tens of demonstrators were injured in the clashes which continued for about two hours. The demonstrators finished the action for gathering power for the next day.
The resistance of Okmeydanı gave a very clear message to the imperialists and the collaborator fascist Turkish state: You can’t decide about the destiny of the peoples behind closed doors. Also the oppressed people have a will, and we are determined to beat off your Summit!
Preparations continue for a stronger action for tomorrow.

(Atilim is a weekly revolutionary socialist newspaper published in Turkey)