Turkish police use tear gas to prevent march for Gezi victim near presidential palace

ANKARA

DHA photos, video

A group of protesters have attempted to march Turkey’s new presidential palace to mark the shooting of 15-year-old Gezi protests victim Berkin Elvan, but the police prevented the demonstration by using tear gas.

The 50-person group, consisting of members of the leftist People’s Front, traveled from Istanbul to Ankara in two minibuses early Feb. 6. However, police halted the group in Ankara’s Mamak district, Doğan News Agency reported. 

When the group locked themselves inside the minibuses, resisting a search warrant, the police forcefully entered the vehicles and used tear gas, before detaining the 50 people inside.



The police also tried to prevent footage being filmed of the incident, leading to another confrontation at the scene.



The group had declared that they would march to the presidential palace on Feb. 6, 600 days after Berkin Elvan sustained a head injury from a gas canister as he went to buy bread during a police crackdown against Gezi Park protesters in Istanbul on June 16, 2013. 


Elvan had turned 15 while in a 269-day-long coma which ended with his death on March 11, 2014. Several demonstrations were staged in 32 provinces across Turkey on the day of his death with police dispersing most protests with tear gas and water cannons and detaining scores of people.