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Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
The raid sparked anger among local residents, who staged a protest against the action outside the house. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Authorities have demanded that the house, which was originally unoccupied, be evacuated because it officially belongs to the Treasury. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Residents also resorted to banging pots and pans to protest the police's move in Caferağa, as others played music in front of the rows of riot police. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Caferağa Solidarity, a park forum established in the wake of last year’s Gezi protests that coordinated activities at the house, issued a statement on Dec. 5, warning of a possible police attack. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Gathering at the police barricade, neighborhood residents shouted 'Neighborhood House against the palaces,' in reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 'Ak Saray,' the true cost of which has been withheld by the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) as 'it could negatively affect the economy.' DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Riot police block the street while members of Caferaga Solidarity group hold placards, reading: 'Caferağa Solidarity Against Shopping Centers.' AFP Photo / Ozan Köse
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
The house has played host to forums and various workshops, while providing a common place for neighborhood residents to cook and eat communally. It also features a library, a carpenter’s shop, a dark room and a swap area. AFP Photo / Ozan Köse
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
Meanwhile, a performer danced in front of riot police to protest the eviction. AFP Photo / Ozan Köse
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
'We’ve heard that at some point, they’re going to come and close our open door. The tyrants who have sworn an oath to sell everything that is nice and lives, as well as every [drop of] water, every tree and every bit of shade are going to try and prise our house from our hands. But we will not so easily forgo our dreams and the things that we have created together,' it said. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
The performer, Gonca Gümüşayak, was dressed in red, remding the "woman in red" who became the symbol of last year's Gezi protest and an icon of passive resistence against police violence. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
After the departure of the police, residents entered the building to find it emptied of its contents and with various posters ripped down. DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
DHA Photo / Elvan Ezber
Police backed by riot squad raid communal house in Istanbul
A woman dances in front of riot police during a demonstration on Dec. 9 in Istanbul against the eviction of a squatted building in the Asian district of Kadıköy. An abandoned building was squatted 18 months ago and converted into a communal neighborhood space. AFP Photo / Ozan Köse
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