Thousands gather for Ankara anti-coup rally in solidarity with Egypt
ANKARA – Hürriyet
Many of the demonstrators held banners with the 'Rabaa' sign made by raising four fingers. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ
Thousands gathered in a massive demonstration in solidarity with the supporters of Egypt’s toppled President Mohamed Morsi on Aug. 24 in Ankara’s central Sıhhiye Square. The rally was organized by several workers unions and associations including the Civil Servants’ Trade Union (Memur-Sen), the Confederation of Righteous Trade Unions (Hak-İş) and Solidarity for Oppressed People (Mazlum-Der).Many of the demonstrators held banners with the “Rabaa” sign made by raising four fingers, which has become the symbol of the massacre in Egypt and at the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square where Morsi’s supporters camped for weeks after the military takeover on July 3. Hundreds of opponents of the military rule died in the Egyptian security forces’ heavy-handed crackdowns.
The organizers called the rally “Resistance for Egypt, Revival for Humanity Rally,” stressing that Turkey had a responsibility regarding Egypt.
“We have an additional responsibility as Muslims; we have ummah responsibility,” Memur-Sen’s chair Ahmet Gündoğdu said Aug. 23.
Some of the protesters on the squares chanted slogans such as “Muslims don’t stay silent against oppression” and “Muslim don’t sleep, stand up for your brother.”
The demonstrators also condemned the reported chemical attack in Syria that killed over 1,300 people, including dozens of children and women, denouncing the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
