Turkey:Clashes in Ankara as police use tear gas to prevent students’ protest march to ministry

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to prevent a group of students from marching to the Energy Ministry in Ankara to protest the Soma mine disaster May 14, which killed at least 238 people.

Around 800 students had gathered inside the campus of the Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTÜ) to denounce the disaster. But the police did not allow them to march outside of the campus, blocking the exit after the intervention.

According to reports, police taunted the protesters from megaphones during the intervention. “You should feel proud of what you are doing when a national mourning has been declared,” police officers reportedly said. Three days of mourning had been announced earlier on May 14 in memory of the victims.

Meanwhile, a number of unions and organizations have made several calls for protests for the coming days. Unions, including the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) and the Chamber of Architects and Engineers’ (TMMOB) have called for a work stoppage with three minutes of silence at 9 am on May 15. In joint statements, the groups also asked their members to wear black clothes in memory of the victims.

In Istanbul, a group of youths held a protest in front of the operator company’s headquarters, writing “Murderers” on its wall.

The group also staged a sit-in protest in the garden of the Soma Coal Mining Company, holding placards that read “This building rises out of the blood of the workers” and “They didn’t die beautifully. This is murder, not fate.” Separately, some 10-15 people lay on the floor of the Istanbul metro at Taksim station to represent the deaths at the mine.

Other protests have been planned around the country during the day and into the evening.