Berlin: Solidarity gathering for the imprisoned anarchists from Istanbul

FREEDOM FOR THE ACTIVISTS IN ISTANBUL!

On Friday, May 18th, 2012, a gathering in solidarity with arrested anarchists from Istanbul took place in front of the Turkish embassy in Berlin. Several house searches of personal residences, social centres and collectives happened on Monday, May 14th, 2012, in Istanbul (Turkey) and in this context 60 activists got arrested, while PCs, hard drives and other private documents were seized and confiscated by police.

The cops used the actions which took place on May Day in Istanbul as a pretext to legitimize the arrests and house searches. But, in this context, it turned up that the social movements in Istanbul are under special observation by the repression organs since one year. First, the police denied the lawyers of the activists to get in contact with the imprisoned and find out their identities. It wasn’t clear whether they are exclusively anarchist activists, or if also their friends became a target of police. Until the evening of May 17th, 45 detainees were released, and further 15 people were still held in custody and awaiting trial (on May 18th)*. Private documents are still confiscated. Thus, none of the released activists is safe or acquitted.

With this gathering in front of the Turkish embassy in Berlin, we wanted and want to show our solidarity with the detained activists and social movements in Istanbul. During the gathering we informed passersby through speeches, we shared out leaflets (in Turkish and German) and protested loudly against the repression in Istanbul. Furthermore, we expressed our general hopes for a society freed from any kind of prison and oppression.

Love and anarchy!
Some freedom-loving anarchists

* According to the latest report, 9 anarchists were ordered to be remanded in custody.