ISTANBUL PROTESTS SPREAD TO BAKU: POLICE DISPERSES PROTESTS SUPPORTING DEMONSTRATIONS IN TURKEY

19:31 03/06/2013 ” REGION

On Monday at 4:00pm, Baku police prevented a group of young people
trying to hold a rally of solidarity with the protesters in Istanbul,
the Azerbaijani information agency Turan reports.

It says that about 50 people gathered in front of the Turkish Embassy
in Baku, calling to meet the demands of demonstrators in Istanbul.

They called on the Turkish government to stop pressure on the
protesters, and to abandon plans for the restructuring of Taksim
Square, according to correspondents from the scene.

The police, however, pushed the crowd away from the embassy. Young
people told reporters they continue to hold solidarity actions in
other locations in central Baku, without naming specific addresses.

Street protests continue to be held in several cities in Turkey
(Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir and Konya) from the end of May.

Demonstrators protest against the government’s plans to build a
shopping and entertainment complex in the park of Gezi in Istanbul.

Opponents of the construction of the shopping center claim that Gezi
Park is one of the few green areas in the center of Istanbul. The
protests began as a protest of local environmentalists. But the action
quickly grew into a demonstration of dissatisfaction on the policy
of the Turkish prime minister and the ruling party. Turkish police
used violence to disperse the protesters.

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission,
mentioned about the “disproportionate use of force by the police.”

Peaceful demonstrations “are part of manifestations of democracy”,
and the long-term stability in Turkey can only be ensured by provision
of “fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and unification,”
said USA White House spokesperson Laura Lucas.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress