土耳其警方使用催泪弹驱散抗议人群

土耳其警方使用催泪弹驱散抗议人群

土耳其首都安卡拉和西部城市伊兹密尔警方使用高压水炮和催泪弹 驱散因矿难事件而抗议的人群。

In the Turkish capital of Ankara and the western city of Izmir, riot police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters who are angry with the government over the mine disaster. But when the intervention happened during a protest in the town of Soma - where thousands are in mourning - many were in shock.

Water cannons and tear gas is not a common scene at the town of Soma. But when over 1500 people protested in the town - hit by Turkey’s deadliest mining accident in its history, police intervened.

The angry crowd chanted anti-government slogans. Many were furious that the authorities had not taken any precautionary measures over the years.

At a town where everyone is in mourning - the intervention by police was not expected. It caught people by surprise, and many believe it was unnecessary.

There were many reactions on social media as well. Thousands condemned the government’s attitude with posts on sites such as facebook and twitter.

However others disagreed. A Soma citizen and a mineworker himself stressed that there was provocation at the protest and the police had reacted accordingly.

The people of Soma, known to be supportive of the ruling Justice and Development Party are expecting accountability from the government. Many here are now anxious to get some results from the investigation already launched by the prosecutor’s office.