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What is Happening in Istanbul?

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111–120 of 519 posts

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#111
post #82

Can someone perhaps comment on the alleged use of agent orange? [1] From my limited knowledge of chemical weapons ( in lack of a better word), it is an deforestation chemical, and has no direct use for riot control. So currently my take is, that this is a rumor, since its use would better fit into the narrative than into a plausible police strategy. [1] for example: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1fi07t/i…

It's not agent orange. It's tear gas mixed with orange paint to tag the protesters for later identification. Agent orange isn't even orange. --http://occupygezipics.tumblr.com/post/51960983385/important-...

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#112

One of the most challenging aspects of learning about important, under-reported events is correcting for the biases of individuals who are reporting on it For example, while there are no doubt many shopping malls in Istanbul, I doubt there is "at least one in every neighborhood!" (unless that word is better translated as something more like a suburb) This makes it harder to trust all of the details of the more seriou…

It's heartbreaking when I see a comment like this voted up to the top. Are you saying anything new here? Is there anything in your remarks that is insightful? No. This kind of comment appears in practically Every. Single. news discussion. Can't we just make a blanket statement like this as a sticky, and put it at the top of each story? A kind of brief disclaimer or IANAL?

Relevant :

http://www.xkcd.com/1215/

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#113

There are a number of defended buildings & complexes near Taksim. Consulates galore; a military hospital on Inonu Caddessi that has a bunch of sandbagged positions on it, along w/ more conventional guardposts; etc. And there's a military museum on the edge of the park, right next to where dozens of cats happily live. Any of those places reporting troubles? Or is it all in the streets and park itself?

Not really, there was a video of police showing up at a military guarded position that tried to order them around and force them to let them have access. They told the guards that they will be forced to shoot tear gas at them if they don't comply and the military told them we have things we can shoot at you too and then the police left. The military is not really taking any action and the protests are not upset with the military as the military has been the secular force in Turkey for a long time and has staged coups before to keep it so.

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#115
post #87
post #82

Can someone perhaps comment on the alleged use of agent orange? [1] From my limited knowledge of chemical weapons ( in lack of a better word), it is an deforestation chemical, and has no direct use for riot control. So currently my take is, that this is a rumor, since its use would better fit into the narrative than into a plausible police strategy. [1] for example: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1fi07t/i…

I don't think it is aimed at at the protestors, but it is a chemical usable to attack trees and they are in a park. It might very well be sort of 'we are going to kill this park one way or the other' type of situation. Once all the trees are dead, they could properly develop the park with relatively few protests. It is insane, of course, but it seems that some governments are prepared to do absolutely anything to the…

I'm not sure if you're serious, but what you're saying here is obviously grossly out of whack with reality. The police violence is crazy but Turkey is not that crazy. You may as well have claimed that Erdogan is planning to nuke the protesters.

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#116

Im confused by the use of the occupy lingo. Is occupy just a meme now for any protest?

> Is occupy just a meme now for any protest? Well, it never has been anything else.

Actually, I was surprised that some movements decided to use that word to describe themselves. I believe that 'occupy' is very unfortunate word, especially in Europe. For example I live in a country that was occupied by the Nazis in 1939 and by Russians in 1968 (that occupation lasted 20 years). The meaning of the word occupier basically equals to 'the one who takes freedom of others by force' here. If you use that word to describe yourself or your movement you can be sure that most people will automatically be against you from the beginning. Not the best PR move.

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#117
post #101

I just went to Youtube, and on the first page there was this video of a protester overrun by a police tank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbYQ_dzFniY EDIT: it looks to me that at the beginning of the video you can spot the feet of another person behind him.

I don't think they saw him though. And the shield hopefully saved him.

I looked at the video again. If you look it in slow motion, you can see that there is another man crouching in the back. Although the man in the front might not be visible to the tank driver, the one behind should be and has no shield. Also, just before the impact the tank fires the water cannon in the exact direction of the two. Might be a coincidence or a proof they saw them.

But even in the event they did not see them, you just don't drive a tank against a barrier where you don't know if there are people or not.

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#119

Loath as I am to cite Buzzfeed, but: the images of the people on the bridge are not from these protests. They are from the 2012 Istanbul Marathon. http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/one-of-the-most-popula...

I did not find a replica of the bridge posted. Perhaps it is a popular crossing that gets filled up whenever major events are happening?

No, it is a major highway. Pedestrian traffic is are not allowed. Getting on the bridge as a group of people is very rare and requires significant critical mass to pull off.

Re: What is Happening in Istanbul?

#120
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

I agree RT is not the most credible source, that's why I went to the AI blog. Still, it's one of the few international tv channels broadcasting from Taksim Square, if not the only.

AI isn't exactly an impartial source either. That's not a news article, it's an editorial.
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