ANARSISTANBUL: A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE’VE DONE AGAINST NATO
    IMAGINATION WAS IN ACTION AGAINST NATO IN ISTANBUL

About a month before the global murderers had met in Istanbul on 28-29th of June; we said, “You don’t have to watch this horror movie! Istanbul streets are yours!”

And then during the whole June, as ANARSISTANBUL ORGANIZATION AGAINST NATO we called everyone that loathe NATO for action against those murderers.

It was just the first days of June when more than ten thousand of our posters and stickers began to decorate every corner of Istanbul, and the walls of universities. Our call was for being active not only on June 28 and 29 but the whole June: Be in Istanbul in June heat... Because under the cobblestones, the beach.

The impact of our activities, which started with our posters, became stronger with an action against NATO on June 7. That day, ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted, “NATO is Murderers’, Istanbul is Ours!” at Bosphorus University and these were the first steps of the actions against NATO.

The contact centers we organized on Anatolian and European sides were very crowded and busy. Instead of “an influx of visitors”, at every table the plans of NATO, which belongs to global capitalist murderers, and what we can do against those plans “here and now” were being discussed. Contact centers were open for almost 24 hours a day during June and are of vital importance through the organization process of ANARSISTANBUL.

On June 11, ANARSISTANBUL bulletin was published. Being distributed to many places, it has been very helpful to convey our thoughts.

The last arrangements before the action on June 16 in Beyoglu, were completed in Beyoglu contact center. Our action in alien masks was not only against NATO, but also against those who are still silent even to the massacres of NATO. To those who just watch the plans of NATO we shouted, “We distrust your humanity”. The action is not only interesting regarding its form but also its content calls the imagination of ones who are against NATO to action.

To intensify the impact of the action, our efforts accelerated. Between June 15 and 26 we opened stands at three central points of Istanbul on both European and Anatolian sides with our black flags, and distributed almost 50 thousand pamphlets. The interest was beyond our estimation. The enrolments to Action Network increased every day.

While NATO Summit was approaching, the working tempo at the contact centers was at its peak. Besides, our friends from Internet working group were extremely busy.

We concluded the last arrangements. Our banners, placards, flags, and marching band were ready. Of course, the most important point was to complete the organization. After the elaborately and individually dealt preparations we announced our meeting place to the Action Network: We will be in Kadikoy.

On June 27, despite all the direct and indirect obstructions of the state, ANARSISTANBUL imagination to action cortege created by over 500 activist and their banners in eight different languages was the most enthusiastic and impressive cortege of the meeting. After the meeting, we marched in Kadikoy streets with black flags and slogans until our contact center.

On June 28 when NATO Summit started, a cortege of 2000 people against NATO in which ANARSISTANBUL participated too began to march towards NATO valley. After the brutal attack of the police, Okmeydani streets were full of barricades. Black flags were at the barricades.

On June 29, we were in Beyoglu. Almost a hundred ANARSISTANBUL activists walked towards Tunel with other groups. Police attacked again.

USA and Bush are mostly disliked in where we live, but the general opinion is not the same for NATO. Or it was not. Because, the anti-NATO struggle helped spreading the anti-NATO idea through the society. With its struggle, ANARSISTANBUL ORGANIZATION AGAINST NATO has made significant contributions to the creation of social reaction against NATO. Besides, our actions and activities increased the people’s sympathy and support for anarchism.

These are what we have done together for a month. But that the NATO Summit ended doesn’t affect the fact that NATO’s plans, especially those, which will affect the lands we live on, has actually just started. That’s why it is important to keep on strengthening the struggle against NATO.

We didn’t dream of global murderers and usurpers’ Istanbul, we imagined ANARSISTANBUL.

And the actions of our imagination against the power of oppressors will go on!

ANARSISTANBUL FOREVER!

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JUNE 29: ANARSISTANBUL IN ACTION AGAINST NATO, BLACK FLAG AT THE STREETS

ANARSISTANBUL Organization Against NATO was in action on the June 29. About 600 activists gathered in Galatasary Square, Beyoglu and around 100 ANARSISTANBUL activists started to rally with other groups to Tunel Square. Police attacked the activists. Some banks were smashed during the action.

On June 27 ANARSISTANBUL was in the big rally against NATO, then on June 28, ANARSISTANBUL activists were at the barricades in Okmeydani (marching to the NATO valley border) and on the second day of the global usurper NATO meeting (June 29) ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted as: "NATO is Murderers' Istanbul is Ours"

At 11.30, different groups against NATO gathered in Galatasaray Square and shouted slogans against NATO. About 100 ANARSISTANBUL activists walked in the square with black, black-red and black-green flags and Imagination to Action against the Power of the Cruel and Bakunin and Durruti are Alive in Istanbul placards. ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted the slogans: "Imagination to Action against NATO", "NATO is Murderers' Istanbul is Ours", "Bread, Justice, Freedom", "Action, Revolution, Anarchy". ANARSISTANBUL slogans were supported by the other groups.

After a while, some groups left the square. ANARSISTANBUL and some other groups remained in the square and started marching to Tunel Square.

During the rally Istiklal Street echoed with the slogans of anarchists. After a while, police attacked the activists with tear gas. While ANARSISTANBUL activists were leading to Tunel Square they were shouting "NATO is Murderers' Istanbul is Ours" . The other groups participated the slogans.

It is observed that, police preventing the shelter of global murderer NATO has taken many measures. Scattered to the narrow streets police attacked the activists from there. Tear gas affected many activists and some were detained.

ANARSISTANBUL Organization Against NATO that was on streets also on the last two days of usurper murderers' summit, did its best to prevent the summit of murderer NATO. Against global usurpers' slaughter and exploitation scenarios about our region ANARSISTANBUL actively participated in the demonstration of the struggle for bread, justice and freedom.

In this period the best achievement is the support and sympathy of many people devoted to anarchists. This indicates that we will confront the exploitation plans of global murderers with more black flags and more rage each time.

ANARSISTANBUL FOREVER!

Photos of the action

Click to enlarge photos

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JUNE 28: ANARSISTANBUL AT BARRICADES WITH BLACK FLAGS AGAINST NATO IN ISTANBUL

On June 28, ANARSISTANBUL activists with the other groups against NATO began rallying through Okmeydani to Mecidiyekoy, to the isolated NATO valley. As police tried to stop the activists with pepper gas and batons, activists built barricades and clashed with the police.

Beginning from the night of June 27, ANARSISTANBUL activists made preparations for the action with the other groups against NATO.

About 2000 activists from various leftist groups and 30 anarchists from ANARSISTANBUL started the rally in the early hours of the day. Using intense pepper gas police surrounded and tried to scatter the activists and activists retreated to Okmeydani. Activists built many barricades at the streets of Okmeydani and by turning the cars upside down they blocked the police. Activists reacted the police attack with cobble stones and molotov cocktails. After the long clashes, many activists and police were injured. Many activists were affected by the pepper gas.

During the rally and at the barricades, with black flags and "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is Ours" banner, ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted the slogans, "NATO is Murderers' Istanbul is Ours", "Action, Revolution, Anarchy" and "Earth, Commune, Freedom".

Photos of the Action

ISTANBUL: ANARSISTANBUL IMAGINATION TO ACTION CORTEGE WAS ON THE STREETS

On June 27th, a rally was organized in Kadikoy, Istanbul, against the global murderers of NATO. (Kadikoy Square is important in the history of social movements as after the riots in Mayday 1996 it was banned for rallies. Since 1996 this rally has been the first rally with intense participation.) Despite the police measures and barriers, more than 500 activists were in ANARSISTANBUL Imagination to Action cortege. Media manipulations (the news about the bomb explosion in a public bus), closure of the streets, delay of the ferry time and detentions affected not only ANARSISTANBUL but the general participation in the rally. There were about 30 thousand people in the rally.

Despite the rain, Kadikoy streets were active in the early hours of the day, preparations of different groups were intense in the streets. ANARSISTANBUL Imagination to Action cortege began the rally with ANARSISTANBUL marching band playing Anarsist Genclik Federasyonu (Anarchist Youth Federation) Istanbul March. ANARSISTANBUL activists carried "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is Ours" and in eight different languages (Arabic, Zaza language, Kurdish, Laz language, Greek, Spanish, English, Turkish) "Imagination to Action" and a huge "Imagination to Action against the Power of the Cruel" banners and extraordinary vertical ANARSISTANBUL banners.

Anarchists from Antiauthoritarian Movement (Greece) distributed their pamphlets. Besides Antiauthoritarian Movement, anarchists from Macedonia and France and anarchists from different cities of Turkey were in ANARSISTANBUL cortege.

While rallying to the Kadikoy Square, anarchists in ANARSISTANBUL cortege shouted the slogans: "Against NATO, Anarchy in Istanbul", "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is Ours", "Against NATO, Action, Revolution, Anarchy", "Bread, Justice, Freedom", "Global Murderers will Pay for It", "Against NATO Imagination to Action", "No to NATO's corporations, No to NATO's armies, No to Global Capitalism, No to Domination', "Don't kill, Don't let kill, Do not Corrupt your Conscience'

Comrades from Thesseloniki shouted the slogans: "I alli legyi to oplo ton laon, polemos ston polemo ton afentikon" (Solidarity is the weapon of peoples, war to the war of bosses), "Oute Evropi, oute Ameriki, polemos sta afentika s'olokliri ti gi" (Neither Europe nor USA, war against the bosses all over the world), "batsoi gourounia dolofonoi" (Cops, pigs, killers), "50 hronia NATO, i idia istoria, hountes, polemoi, tromokratia" (50 years of NATO, the same story, juntas, war, terrorism)

At the street leading to the square many people participated the slogans and the enthusiasm of anarchists. In the square more than 500 activists were shouting "Against NATO, Anarchy in Istanbul". With slogans and the march, anarchists burned US flags. The huge banners filling the square attracted the attention of many people against NATO in other corteges and they shouted ANARSISTANBUL slogans.

ANARSISTANBUL cortege began rallying through Kadikoy Arcade. ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted slogans and sang Anarchist Youth Federation Istanbul March through the arcade and many tradespeople and workers supported them cheering and joining the march. Shouting "NATO is Murderers', Kadýkoy is Ours" slogan, anarchists rallied through the streets. When the anarchists came in front of ANARSISTANBUL Contact Office, black and black-red flags were waved from the office and greeted them. ANARSISTANBUL activists ended their rally after declaring the struggle against usurper murderers of NATO and actions during the NATO Summit will continue.

ALIENS AGAINST NATO LAND AT BEYOGLU
Police attacked anarchists

On June 16th aliens against NATO landed at Beyoglu, Istiklal Street.that is one of the important places of "NATO valley" (where the NATO summit will take place. Tight measures are taken and many people's identities and houses are investigated in detail in this region)

When aliens got out of the historical tram (nostalgic symbol of Beyoglu, Istanbul) in Galatarasaray Square by shouting the slogans "Imagination to Action Against NATO!" lots of people on the street, including police and press, got very surprised. As activists' voices echoed in Istiklal Street, they held "ANARSISTANBUL ORGANIZATION AGAINST NATO" banner.

At that moment police tried to attack the 'alien' activists. ANARSISTANBUL activists shouted the slogan "Bread Justice Freedom" and resisted. Carrying black flags and placards against NATO, ANARSISTANBUL activists read their declaration while police harassment was continuing. Afterwards they shouted slogans: "Imagination to Action Against NATO", "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is Ours", "Bread Justice Freedom", "Anarchy in Istanbul Against NATO".

Activists wearing alien masks explained that their action was not only against NATO but also against the people doing nothing against NATO.

As police harassment continued through the action, alien activists resisted the police saying "You can detain us, since you have no problem such as 'alien rights' " (With the alien rights theme, activists faked the police. As Turkey's candidacy for EU membership is one of the main agendas in the recent years, human rights policy is a very important issue and problem for state. Activists created an irony by using alien rights/human rights theme and police failed in surprise)

After reading the declaration and shouting slogans, one of the alien activists pointed another activist wearing a Bush mask and said "Are you afraid of us, the aliens? We have never thrown bombs over Iraqi people. We are not the cause of hunger. We don't torture people. Don't be afraid of us, you should be afraid of Bush, he is the one you have to be afraid of."

The march of the activists was prevented by police and activists again shouted slogans. Afterwards police announced "You have two minutes to take off your masks." ANARSISTANBUL activists replied the police: "You have only five minutes to leave !" Then police attacked the activists but they faced strong resistance.

Police used tear gas to detain anarchists, yet the slogans continued for a long time. Police detained all ANARSISTANBUL activists who resisted all together in solidarity. ANARSISTANBUL activists resisted when the police tried to force them into the police van and they continued shouting their slogans: "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is Ours"

It is important to emphasize that when the action began, there were intense police measures in Galatasaray Square. In those conditions, starting the action was a real problem but anarchists overcame it.

WITH IMAGINATION IN ACTION AGAINST NATO, ACTIONS OF ANARSISTANBUL AGAINST USURPER MURDERERS WILL CONTINUE.

ANARSISTANBUL'S ACTION AGAINST NATO AT BOSPHORUS UNIVERSITY
IMAGINATION TO ACTION AGAINST NATO !

Istanbul- ANARSISTANBUL ORGANIZATION AGAINST NATO organized an action against NATO on June 7 at Bosphorus University. At 2 p.m., at the center of Bosphorus University's South Campus, three anarchists wearing shrouds started to shout: "We are Palestinians, We are Iraqis, We won't wear NATO's shrouds."

Then more than 100 anarchists gathered while drums and an accordion being played. They started marching with the slogan: "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is ours!"

They carried two banners with "IMAGINATION TO ACTION AGAINST NATO" and "ANAR-SISTANBUL ORGANIZATION AGAINST NATO" written on them.

They shouted these slogans: "If not Now, Then When? If not Us, Then Who?", "Imagination to Action Against NATO", "Against NATO, Anarchy in Istanbul", "Bread not Bombs", "Against NATO, Action Revolution Anarchy", "No to NATO's Companies, Armies, Tortures, Slaughters". ANARSISTANBUL's activists didn't forget university's president and when they were in front of the presidency building they shouted: "Bosphorus University is the Fortress of USA, Smash, Smash, Anarchy!" After marching, anarchists gathered in the square with slogans and read the press relase and burnt Bush puppet wearing a soldier uniform.

A dozen of military boots with placards written "I killed children throwing stones in Rafah", "I bombed a market place in Mogadishu", "I ran over many houses in Gazza" on them were left in front of the presidency building. Afterwards, anarchists gathered with the slogan "NATO is Murderers', Istanbul is ours" and burnt NATO and USA flags. Anarsistanbul will keep on struggling against NATO.