"The young teenager, the eighth person to be killed in the Gezi Park protests, went into a coma after sustaining a head injury from a gas canister as he went to buy bread during a police crackdown in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı neighborhood last June. Elvan has since become one of the prime symbols violence faced by protesters throughout the nationwide Gezi demonstrations.
He had only turned 15 in January while still in a coma. A ceremony will be held at a cemevi in Okmeydanı before the burial in Feriköy cemetery on March 12."
Currently, I live in the Taksim neighborhood of Istanbul, one of the main areas of ongoing protests. Last night after having dinner and playing backgammon, two friends came with me to Taksim when they heard a protest for Berkin was going to happen. We walked up from the metro onto Takism square to see police gathered about. As we walked down Istikal Caddesi, we began to see protestors gathering. We backed away as protesters were pushed back into square. Protestors stood on one side with the police on the other. After being provoked by the protestors (rolling garbage dumpsters, shouting, throwing food, and so forth), the police chased the protestors into side streets. While they did this, my friends and I could hear the rubber bullets being shot by the police at the protestors.
Later on we made for my apartment, by trying to take Tarlabası Sokak. We could hear tear gas canisters going off in the distance, but underestimated how close we were and how much time was needed for the gas to dissipate. While on the phone with a friend asking about the protest in Okmeydanı, my friends and I walked straight into tear gas accidentally (no visible signs on the ground or in front of us). The burn that I felt in my eyes, nose, and throat was really intense. The gas truly lived up to it's name and reputation (especially with the police here using different mixtures of tear gas). Unfortunately, that was only the first time I'd run into the gas last night, and because of the police blocking areas I was unable to go home. My friends and I had some chats with people along the way, sharing our feelings over Berkin, the protests, and what is happening to this country politically. I can only hope that things will get better for the country that I currently call home. Below, I will post an article about Berkin and a website with pictures of the protests.
15-year-old Gezi victim Berkin Elvan dies after 269 days in coma
40 Tragic Pictures From Turkey As Clashes Erupt After Death Of 15-Year-Old Berkin Elvan
