Attacks on HDP Buildings After Election

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An attack was carried out against the Esenler District Building of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) after the Presidential and Parliamentary elections came to an end yesterday (June 24).

The people waiting in front of the building spoke to bianet about the attack and said that the attackers were the supporters of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The information shared with bianet about the incident is as follows:

"Esenler District Building is situated right on the main road. The people in the vehicles heading towards the square for celebrations started to make insulting remarks and use swear words while driving through the main road. However, afterwards, a group of almost one thousand people started to stand still in front of the building.

"They wanted us to pull down the HDP flags"

"The group chanted the slogans, 'Bastards of Apo [the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan] cannot intimidate us', 'Martyrs are immortal, our land is indivisible', 'Every Turk is born a soldier'.

"The group also want to have the flags of the HDP taken down. There were more than 20 of us inside the building at the beginning. Then, 15 riot police officers and 15 undercover police officers came and set up barricades in front of the building.

"Almost 15 people got stuck in the building"

"After the police set up the barricades, a few people could get out of the building without being seen. But, there are still almost 15 people inside who have got stuck. When they saw that we were waiting in front of the building, they wanted to intervene; but, we said that we were just waiting.

"The police are dispersing the crowd slowly. But, the ones passing through the road continue to play the song, 'I will die for you, my Turkey' and shout."

There were also attacks in other districts

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency, the election bureau of the HDP in the Neighborhood of Esentepe, the HDP District Buildings in Sultanbeyli and Ümraniye in İstanbul as well as the HDP District Building in Keçiören, Ankara were also attacked.

The Sultanbeyli District Co-Chair of the HDP Burhan Taşdemir said, "Despite several calls that we have made to the district security directorate, they are insisting on not dispersing the crowd." (TP/SD)