“Standing Man” Inspires Protesters In Turkey

“Standing Man” Inspires Protesters In Turkey

While Tayyip Erdogan’s government squashed the unrest in Taksim Square protesters in Turkey are far from being done manifesting against what they believe is a bad direction their country is heading in.

Erdem Gunduz, is a name that became very popular this Tuesday, as the performance artists inspired protesters with his unusual way of showing his disapproval in regards to the recent violent events that took place in Turkey by standing perfectly still in the Square that looked like a battle scene just a few days ago.

Photographs of his silent, statue like presence in Taksim Square quickly lit up all social media sites and generated a new wind of support for him and protesters all across the country.

While he tried to play down his role, his message was clear; all Turkish citizens have a voice and they will not stop until they are heard, regardless of how violent the means to silence them become.

Protests started in May and were caused by plans to destroy a historically rich area called Gezi Park in way of more modern buildings,however, they quickly escalated into a political standoff between the urban secular part of Turkey and Erdogan’s more religious ideals.

Protesters in Turkey were clearly inspired by Erdem Gunduz’s action and kept showing up all across the country and expressing their dislike for Erdogan’s policies.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday June 19 2013, 4:54 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0