I can't even begin to tell you all how much this footage stirs in me. I feel both so proud and so horrified. For the first time since the Gezi protests began there have been police tanks and tear gas and pressurized water in Kadıköy. Typically, all the action happens in Taksim, which is across the Bosphorus on the European side. Kadıköy is a traditional stronghold for the Left. Also, the municipal elections are and have almost always been won by the secularist CHP. For these reasons, it was very surprising for everyone to see a police intervention of such scale in this district of Istanbul. It is also so painful to see police marching and young people being attacked on streets I know so well: next to my favorite movie theater, at the corner next to the flower shop where I used to always meet a buddy, under the bridge I used to walk under to get home, at the famous ice cream shop, at the end of my best friend's street. If it wasn't already, this is now personal. Kadıköy is where my grandmother was born and raised, where my mother was born and raised, where my relatives still live and where I've made my home in İstanbul. And I'm not the only one who feels this sense of belonging and responsibility. Seeing the owners of small local groceries or key shops or bakeries close up and join the struggle is heartening, as it is to see the ubiquitous Kadıköy or Moda "aunties" out in the streets and cheering on the youth building barricades. The AKP government has made a huge mistake in coming to Kadıköy. We know and love these streets and we will defend them. Further, this attack was a serious strategic error. Entrance to Kadıköy, unlike Taksim, cannot be shut off. The more you attack us here, the more people will stream in from all over the city. İyice sıçtın sıvadın şimdi katil devlet. Bu daha başlangıç....
- September 11th, 2013
"Dude, is this fucking Taksim or something?"
(This bull statue is located in the heart of Kadıköy and is the symbol and mascot of the district.)
"'Life is beautiful on the streets' -- this is Kadıköy.
(A corporate slogan detourned.)
"The 'auntie' from the upper story calls out, 'Build a barricade, sweethearts, build a barricade!' - This is Kadıköy."
"Attacking in Kadıköy was an enormous strategic mistake. The maximum capacity of Taksim is clear and once transportation is cut off Taksim is done for. However, there is entrance to Kadıköy from many roads. Kadıköy is a open transportation hub for the Asian and European sides. Thousands of people can enter to join the struggle and you cannot close all the roads. Plus, Kadıköy is a nest for democratic people, pro-Republicans, Leftist and fanatic Fenerbahçe fans. Kadıköy is like a fortress of enemies of the AKP. The pro-shariah guys with machetes cannot multiply here -- they'll be lynched. If the government didn't do this intentionally to cause a frenzy in the press, then they've really fucked up. Get well soon."
"Have you heard? Good news for the people of Kadıköy! No more jumping over turnstiles or cramming onto ferries! The resistance has come to your door!"
"Oh, we're resisting close to home :)"
