#OccupyGezi

Standoff in Istanbul's Gezi Park

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Crowds in construction helmets chanting at the police across the street at sunset
Two youg men with dustmaks in front of a Turkish flag
Turkish riot police standing ready with protective gear and shields
Portrait of a injured man wearing flowers on his head
A woman adding a note to a wishing tree
Street littered with pieces of rock from the street and a destroyed vehicle in the background
Teenage protestor sleeping in the occupied park with his gaskmask on backwards
A gardening initiative inside the occupied park
Two men shaking out a blanket inside the occupied zone
A boy wearing a construction helmet hugging a girl with her bloodtype on her arm
An old woman wearing a flag sitting with two boys in the middle of the occupied zone
Middle aged man standing next to a destoryed police car
A male protestor wearing a dustmask and a Guy Fawkes mask
Crowded nightly party in front of the occupied park
Turkish riot police protecting a statue
A cellphone filming a German-Turkish pianist playing on the square
Cracked windshield of a vehicle in the square
A man crouching to light a candle for those who died during the protest

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About #OccupyGezi

Istanbul is one of Europe's prime tourist destinations. In 2013, protests erupted over the urban development plan for Gezi park, situated on top of Taksim Hill. As the government cracked down on the group that camped in the park to save it from destruction, more and more people joined them. After a month, the protest was not just about the park — it was about alcohol laws, homosexuality laws, the war in neighbouring Syria, authoritarianism, abortion laws, and a range of other topics. The protestors set fire to vehicles and created roadblocks around the normally busy intersection. These actions were violently met with water cannons and tear gas canisters. The teargas was at times shot level, hitting and killing protestors. During the last days of the protest, the demonstrators held night long parties with live piano music, and volunteer squads cleaned up the encampment. Finally, on June 15th, a large force of Turkish riot police cleared and cordoned off the park.

A threatened park in Istanbul became a flashpoint for anti-government protest of all creeds.

About the uprising project

The Uprising project revolves around the right to protest and demonstrate. These happenings are commonly portrayed as flare ups, especially if there is violence, and presented without the context of what lead to the outbreak and what happens during these demonstrations. Inside these uprisings, communities form between sometimes very diverse groups. We aim to show the story of people who sometimes risk their lives for their convictions — even if that means just being there and waiting.

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