Stand With the Women (and Men) of Turkey Against Oppression

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan– just another Islamic extremist thug. “This photo encapsulates the essence of this protest [against fundamentalist Islam),” says maths student Esra at Besiktas, near the Bosphorus strait and one of the centers of this week’s protests. “The violence of the police against peaceful protesters, people just trying to protect themselves and what they value.”

In one graphic copy plastered on walls the woman appears much bigger than the policeman. “The more you spray the bigger we get”, reads the slogan next to it.

The United States and the European Union as well as human rights groups have expressed concern about the heavy-handed action of Turkish police against protesters.