Protests Against Trustees: MPs Hospitalized, Journalists Detained
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The dismissal of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van Metropolitan Mayors by the Ministry of Interior and the appointment of trustees in their place have been protested in İstanbul, Mardin, Diyarbakır and Van.
The police have attacked the protesters in Mardin, Diyarbakır and Van. While the injured MPs have been hospitalized, the journalists reporting on the protests have been taken into custody by the police.
Mardin: Three MPs injured
In Mardin, the police have intervened against the ones who gathered in front of the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality building, using pepper gas and pressurized water on the protesters.
As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Tülay Hatimoğlu, Serpil Kemalbay and Pero Dündar have been hospitalized after being injured in police intervention.
Reporting on the protests, Mezopotamya Agency reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç, Jinnews reporter Rojda Aydın and journalists Nurcan Yalçın and Halime Parlak have been detained by the police.
Diyarbakır: Two MPs hospitalized
Partimizin Diyarbakır İl binasının önünde milletvekillerimiz linç ediliyor.
— Garo Paylan - Կարօ Փայլան (@GaroPaylan) August 20, 2019
Halkın seçtiği belediye başkanını görevden al.
Halkın seçtiği milletvekilini linç et.
Yapılan devlet terörüdür!
Bölücülüktür!
Sessiz kalmayalım.
pic.twitter.com/uUiaYAvT4x
In Diyarbakır, entries to the city was closed before the protests against the appointment of trustees started at 11 a.m. The police did not allow the statement for the press to be held in front of the municipality building.
Before the statement, which would be attended by HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli, HDP MPs and Co-Mayors, police officers blockaded the municipality building. The police ordered to group to disperse.
While Temelli was about to make his statement, the police intervened against the MPs and co-mayors. While they were spraying pressurized water, HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran has been wounded.
While MPs Leyla Güven, Berdan Öztürk, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Semra Güzel, Remziye Tosun and Feleknas Uca were attempting to make a sit-in protest in front of the HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Organization building, the police intervened against them.
Battered and wounded by the bludgeons and shields of the police, MPs Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit and Semra Güzel have been hospitalized. Reporting on the protests, journalist Yelda Çiçek has been detained.
Van: Police intervention against sit-in protest
Police officers intervened against the protests in Van as well. The police attacked the ones attempting to march from the HDP building to the Feqiyê Teyran Park with pressurized water, pepper gas and bludgeons.
During the intervention of the police, the dismissed Co-Mayor of Van, HDP Ağrı MP Abdullah Koç and one citizen have been injured. Van Co-Mayor Bedia Özgökçe has been wounded on her knee and taken to a hospital.
After the ensuing commotion, HDP MPs and municipal assembly members started a sit-in protest. While the sit-in protest was also joined by HDP MPs Hüda Kaya, Tayip Temel, Murat Sarısaç and Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir, the police intervened against the protest.
Van’da oturma eylemimize biber gazıyla müdahale ettiler. Direne direne kazanacağız!!! pic.twitter.com/htcYnJMpZo
— DilanDirayetTaşdemir (@dilan_dirayet) August 20, 2019
Posting a video from the police intervention, Dilan Dirayet Taşdemir has said, "They intervened against our sit-in protest in Van with pepper gas. We will struggle by resisting!!!"
It has been reported that 30 people have been taken into custody during the intervention and some citizens were dragged on the floor.
MP Şık and legists battered in İstanbul
Police officers also intervened against the legists and MPs who gathered in front of the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan to hold a statement for the press against the appointment of trustees.
Coming together in front of the courthouse, the group was also supported by Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin, HDP MPs Züleyha Gülüm, Musa Piroğlu, Filiz Kerestecioğlu, Ahmet Şık and Oya Ersoy.
The police ordered the group to disperse and prevented them from reading out their statement. Police officers intervened against the group, battering the MPs and legists. (HA/AÖ/EMK/DB/SD)
* Source and photographs: Mezopotamya Agency