On this day in 2013, Turkish protesters began occupying Gezi Park to oppose its demolition, an act with led to widespread protests and strikes with approximately 3,500,000 participants, 22 deaths, and more than 8,000 injuries.
The wave of civil unrest across Turkey began after the park occupation was violently evicted by police, who used to tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons to try and break up the protests, injuring more than one hundred people and hospitalizing a journalist.
The protest quickly grew in size - by May 31st, 10,000 gathered in Istiklal Avenue. In June, the protests became national in scope and transcended any particular demographic or political ideology. Among the wide range of concerns brought by protesters were issues of freedom of the press, expression, and assembly, as well as the alleged political Islamist government's erosion of Turkey's secularism.
Millions of Turkish football fans, normally divided by intense sports rivalry, marched in unity against the government. Protesters displayed symbols the environmentalist movement, rainbow banners, depictions of Che Guevara, different trade unions, and the PKK and its leader Abdullah Öcalan.
On June 4th, Taksim Dayanışması (Taksim Solidarity) issued a set of demands that included the preservation of Gezi Park, an end to police violence, the right to freedom of assembly, and an end to the privatization of public spaces. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç met the group on June 5th and rejected these demands.
Erdoğan blamed the protests on "internal traitors and external collaborators", demonizing his political opposition as the former. Despite the popular mobilization, Erdoğan remained in power and no major concessions were won from the government.
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In a previous megathread I mentioned trying to restrain myself from telling everyone i meet to become an insulator. I was asked "doesn't it take skills to become an insulator" but saw the post too late and the thread was locked.
The answer to this question, of course, is no. You need to be physically capable of climbing a ladder and you should probably be ok with wearing a respirator most of the time. I don't wear one unless we're doing abatement but I'm a certified dumb fuck.
My main tool is a steak knife and a pair of scissors. I get to do basic geometry which is the most fun kind of math. The trade has a reputation for being the most fucked up weird people with a strong union.
Construction work sucks and isn't fun on the whole but of all the trades, insulation is far and away the best day to day average experience. The pay depends on the region but I make around $40/hr canadian now that I'm a journeyperson.
If you want me to get you in contact with your local union hall DM me I have a directory at home and I'll try to call them myself first
The two professions: insulator and conductor.