Istanbul Gezi Park: ‘Protest Funfair’ at heart of Turkey’s fiercest unrest
ISTANBUL: Under the towering sycamore trees, young Turks whirl hand-in-hand in a circle, whooping with joy to the beat of the drum. To see them dance, you wouldn’t think they were caught up in their country’s fiercest political unrest in years.
It may be the cradle of nearly a week of police violence, but amid the smoke of kebabs and the rattle of tambourines, Istanbul’s Gezi Park looks more like a funfair.
Concerts, yoga classes, tables of free food and even an open air cinema have sprung up here as a small local demonstration has flowered into a teeming community in the six days since the protests started last week.
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