Outrage snowballs at the Supreme Election Council: Large numbers of arrests

Following the referendum that was marred by the Supreme Election Council’s scandalous decision and the many irregularities that tainted the result of the poll, the call to come out into the streets was made all over Turkey. There were interventions in some cities against citizens who had come out into the street in various regions of the country. A total of 23 arrests were made in interventions in Antalya and İzmir.
 
IZMIR: 10 ARRESTS
The police intervened against protesters in Izmir Bornova who were objecting to the Supreme Election Council’s scandalous decision and the irregularities that tainted the poll. Ten arrests were reportedly made.
ISTANBUL
Masses in Istanbul Kadıköy staged a march chanting the slogan, ‘This poll is illegitimate. NO, we won.’
 
Another focus point for protests in Istanbul was Bakırköy. Citizens in Bakırköy protested against the Supreme Election Council’s scandalous decision and the electoral irregularities on a march on which they banged pots and pans.
 
A large group that congregated in front of the Eagle Statue in Beşiktaş staged a march to the accompaniment of whistling and jeering. The protests in Beşiktaş were well attended.
 
Citizens in Gazi quarter lent their support to the nationwide protests by banging pots and pans from their homes.
 
An action dubbed ‘NO won’ was staged in Kartal, another venue for the protests held in various parts of Istanbul.
At a protest in Istanbul Avcılar called by the United June Movement Avcılar Assembly, the slogan ‘We will resist our way to victory’ was chanted. The protest in Avcılar’s Marmara street was well attended.
ANKARA
Students at Middle East Technical University staged a march under the slogan, ‘NO, it hasn’t finished yet; it’s just starting.’ The police used riot control vehicles to prevent the students from coming down into the main street. The students read a press statement in front of the police barricade.
Citizens in the no-voting Batıkent and 100. Yıl quarters protested at the result of the tainted referendum with pots and pans.
SAMSUN
Residents of Samsun were confronted by a police barricade at Samsun’s Türk İş junction. Participants in the popular protest against the referendum results and the Supreme Election Council announced in a press statement made in front of the police barricade that they would continue to say ‘No’.
ANTALYA
The police intervened against participants in protests in Antalya. Thirteen arrests were made in the intervention.
ESKİŞEHİR
A police intervention was mounted against a protest with pots and pans by university students and local residents in Eskişehir’s Yenimahalle. Eight arrests were made.