Amed experienced a whole range of emergency rule practices. Internet was down in Kurdistan. Several agencies and newspapers were shut down. Despite all obstruction, the resistance, oppression and attacks were made public.
The mainly Kurdish city of Amed, Northern Kurdistan, experienced a whole range of emergency rule practices on the night of October 25. Internet was down in all provinces and districts in Kurdistan. Several agencies and newspapers were shut down so the public didn’t learn the truth. Despite all obstruction, the resistance, oppression and attacks were made public by the minute. The garbage piled up in the streets because all the municipality’s vehicles were seized. Banks, hospitals, pharmacies and many public institutions could not work due to the internet outage.
What happened in Amed where the internet was down for 6 days came to light long after. The Metropolitan Municipality was blockaded on the night of October 25 and co-mayors Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı were detained in raids in the airport and his home respectively. The people of Amed gathered in front of the Municipality in the morning in protest against the detentions. The Diyarbakır Governor, in an attempt to stop the people, positioned all security personnel and armored vehicles on the roads leading to the municipality. Thousands of people, led by women, rushed to the building despite all obstruction. The state forces saw the women’s resistance and conducted the first attack on the women. The police targeted women from DBP, HDP and KJA and dragged them on the ground and battered them. The women chose to shield a people, despite all attacks, and showed the AKP government that they will not accept their will being disregarded.
MUNICIPALITY TURNED INTO SECURITY HEADQUARTERS
The force mentality that dared attack a municipality and a party with the power of the people behind them increased their attacks to the maximum. The government restricted all communication networks and banned social media. While there was chaos in Amed for 6 days, the people of Kurdistan could hear from each other hours later. The people of Amed continued their resistance on October 26 with 39 people detained. The municipality workers could not do their jobs, and the municipality building was turned into a security headquarters. Dozens of police officers and Ranger type vehicles were stockpiled to the municipality and all roads leading to it were cut off, deadlocking traffic in the city. The governor banned press statements for DBP, DTK, KJA, HDP and NGOs, and gave other parties an unlimited right.
THEY WANTED TO PUNISH THE PEOPLE
The governorate’s statement does point out the municipalities not picking up garbage for 6 days, but the municipality authorities we spoke to emphasize that the situation is not as they say. The workers can’t do their jobs because all vehicles in the inventory have been seized. As the garbage piles up, contagious disease epidemics are starting to threaten the people. The rain spread the smell and it’s disturbing people. The people see the attacks as an intention to punish them. Many women we spoke to underlined that they won’t stop resisting in the face of the attacks on their will. Life has stopped for the last 6 days in Amed. Hospitals, pharmacies and banks are not working because of the internet shutdown. There was internet access at night for the first 2 days, but then it was completely out for 2 days. They attempted to obscure the truth in this way.
AGAINST THE TRUTH SPREADING...
AKP government couldn’t stop the truth by restricting internet access, so they shut down 15 press institutions including JINHA on October 29 with a statutory decree. The decree to shut down agencies and newspapers was issued on the days that the people’s resistance was to increase. JINHA and DİHA had released news in time despite the internet outage and had made the events public. On the night of October 26, when they had internet access, all journalists and reporters rushed to social media and told the world about the women’s resistance in Amed. Reporters under harsh conditions spread the news and images via Fiber internet present at some spots in the city, and when the internet was restored that night they were able to portray the whole truth. That is why they became the government’s targets and several agencies and newspapers were shut down. The public’s right to information was completely confiscated. Arrests of Gültan Kışanak, Fırat Anlı and Ayla Akat found a way into the agenda via journalists in the West, over social media, because the internet was down the whole time during the hearing.
The internet was not restricted today, but the free press areas were shut down. Despite all restrictions, the reporters were on duty. They continue to reflect the truth even though their agencies are shut down. Amed experienced the whole range of emergency rule practices in these six days.
