Gezi post from Can Atalay: 'We were all there, we were all at Gezi'

From Marmara Prison, Atalay released a social media message, stating the following:

“ON THE ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF GEZI, ONCE AGAIN ‘WE WERE ALL AT GEZI, WE WERE ALL THERE’!”

Atalay said, “2013 was the year of the great protest that began in Gezi Park in Istanbul and spread across the entire country in a short time. 2013 was the year when citizens showed a strong reaction against the disregard for our public spaces, nature, and the demands of the people. Taksim Solidarity was a broad coalition formed by architects, urban planners, lawyers, advocates for the right to the city, ecology organizations, social struggle organizations, and political parties. Its purpose was to defend the right to the city, primarily Gezi Park and the AKM, as well as our democratic rights. As Taksim Solidarity, we peacefully claimed the rights of the city and the citizens living in it, and voiced the demands of the people.”

“THE GEZI RESISTANCE WAS A REFLECTION OF OUR DEMANDS FOR DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE”

"The Gezi Resistance was a reflection of our demands for freedom, democracy, and justice. The peaceful and determined actions of the citizens became a great source of inspiration for us all. Gezi is an occasion for coming together. The innovation it brought to your social/political life is that it provided an opportunity for different groups to make contact. Gezi became a turning point in many respects, demonstrating the power and solidarity of social struggle in Turkey. Gezi had significant effects on the course of social struggles. After Gezi, our society began to claim its struggles for rights more decisively. Citizens began to take bolder and more determined steps to defend their democratic rights and demand justice."

GEZI IS THE INSPIRATION FOR SOMA

"The inspiration for the stronger and more determined struggles against massacres in Soma, Aladağ, Çorlu, and Hendek compared to previous ones is Gezi. The legacy of Gezi continues to guide us in our struggle for democracy and justice in its eleventh year. This process is not only a part of the past but also a source of inspiration for our future. We will continue to defend the rights of citizens, our cities, and our nature. Fortunately, in its eleventh year, millions of citizens continue to say, ‘we were also at Gezi, we were also there.’ We have always felt this spirit of ownership and solidarity with us. May they be well, may they exist. Sharing the responsibility of the country; the struggle for a democratic climate and ensuring justice is the current responsibility of us all. Sending you all my love... My eternal first regards."