Prosecutors demand up to seven years of jail for 16 protesters, including one US citizen

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Protestors wait for policemen behind their barricade on Sept. 12 at Kadıköy in Istanbul. AFP photo

Istanbul prosecutors have demanded up to seven years of jail time on Oct. 12 for 16 protesters who attended three nights of protests in the district of Kadıköy on Istanbul's Asian shores  last September. 
 
The indictment accuses the protesters of resisting and using coercion against riot police during clashes that broke out in Kadıköy on the evening of Sept. 12, following a demonstration denouncing the death of a young protester in the southern province of Hatay two nights earlier. One of the indicted protesters is an American citizen, Anadolu Agency reported.
 
The indictment also said that a group of protesters gathered near the well-known “bull square” on the main artery of the Bahariye neighborhood, chanting slogans in support of the Gezi protests. The protesters then moved to the Söğütlüçeşme area, a major public transportation node, where they had merged with other groups and organized a sit-in, blocking traffic, the indictment said. 
 
It also said that the protesters threw stones and fireworks at security officers and refused to disperse after repeated warnings. 
 
The 16 protesters were charged of “breaching the Assembly Law ” and “resisting to officers on duty” according to the indictment.
 
Demonstrations in Kadıköy have been taking place without incident since the end of May, while protests in Istanbul’s European side still face daily police intervention. However, between the Sept. 12 and 14, Kadıköy witnessed three evening of widespread clashes.
 
Dozens were injured during the interventions due to police tear gas and some took shelter at the infirmary set up inside the Süreyya Opera House building.