Labour and Democracy forces in Izmir, a western province in Turkey, protested the internal security bill, the main articles of which have been passed in parliament by the votes of the AKP deputies despite the strong objection of the opposition parties.

The demonstration in Izmir was held at the Gundoğan Square with mass participation despite the heavy rain. The crowd frequently chanted slogans such as: “The Security bill is an attack on the people”, “Internal security is not secure”, “Hands off our bread. The right to strike cannot be banned” and “Internal security bill is fascism, and we will not let it pass”.

United June Movement (BHH) Izmir Executive Committee member, Onur Kılıç, who was taken into custody for “insulting Erdoğan” on 13 February and then released in the face of protests, said at the rally that the law has already been implemented in practice and that the first implementation was during the school boycott in Izmir, when the security forces brutally intervened. Kılıç said the new security package will lead to new massacres perpetrated by the state forces.

Sevilay Yalçınkaya, speaking on behalf of the labour and democracy forces, said freedoms and rights will be restricted to the extent of violating the principles and rules of the European Convention on Human Rights and added: “It is possible to ensure public order by enhancing rights and freedoms, not restricting them. We want freedom, not an internal security package”. Yalçınkaya stressed that the package brings martial law and called for its withdrawal from parliament.