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Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Demonstration in Rome against the war in Gaza
The march, organised in Rome by the opposition forces Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), Movimento 5 Stelle (M5s) and Alleanza Verdi Sinistra Italiana (Avs), started from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and finished before the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. Tens of thousands of people, according to the organisers, marched waving Palestine, peace and party flags and anti-war placards. But a number of Israel and peace flags with the Star of David in the centre could also be seen, symbolising the demonstrators' support for a two-state solution. The banner reading "Gaza stop the massacre. Enough complicity" opened the procession, behind a stream of people arriving from all over Italy. According to the local authorities, at least ten thousand people lined the streets of Rome, thousands more were in the square where the procession ended. Leading the demonstration were the leaders of the three parties, Giuseppe Conte for the M5s, Elly Schlein for the PD and for Avs, Angelo Bonelli and Nicola Fratoianni. As soon as the rally started, the demonstrators sang the partisan fight song 'Bella ciao' together with the politicians. Further behind rose the choruses 'Free Palestine', 'We are all Palestinians', 'Free free Palestine'. Several demonstrators waved placards against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. One demonstrator carried a photo of the two leaders, juxtaposing it with a portrait of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Some demonstrators also carried a white cloth on with small dolls wrapped in white cloths covered in blood, symbolising the children victims of the Israeli attacks in Gaza. Speaking to reporters, PD secretary Schlein said: "It is a huge response of participation to say enough to the massacre of Palestinians and the crimes of the Netanyahu government. It is another Italy that does not remain silent, as the Meloni government does. It is an Italy that wants the recognition of the Palestinian state and this is the Italy we want". "This is the square of humanity against the systematic extermination that has been going on for twenty months, starting with the Italian government that is pretending not to see and is still babbling,' said Conte of the M5s. This was not the only demonstration to end the war in Gaza. Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva and Carlo Calenda's Azione parties organised the meeting 'Two peoples, two states, one destiny' at the Parenti theatre in Milan on Friday. The second demonstration arose after a disagreement between the two centrist parties and the organisers of the procession in Rome, because Italia Viva and Azione had requested a reference to anti-Semitism in the manifesto. This request was refused by Avs, M5s and Pd, because they considered the condemnation of the 7 October 2023 massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel to be already clear. In recent days, deputy minister Matteo Salvini criticised the opposition for organising the event in Rome on the eve of the referendum on work and citizenship. "I hope that no one will use the deaths in Gaza to push people to go and vote", Salvini said. The European commission on Saturday denied German media reports that it had signed 'secret contracts' with environmental NGOs to promote the bloc's climate policy. 'Contrary to media allegations, there are no secret contracts between the European Commission and NGOs,' a commission spokesperson told Euronews. 'The Commission exercises a high degree of transparency when it comes to providing funding to NGOs. The commission's denial comes after German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag claimed that the EU's Executive arm had allegedly secretly paid environmental NGOs up to €700,000 to promote the bloc's climate policy. The paper said it got hold of 'secret contracts' from 2022, which involved well-known NGOs like 'ClientEarth,' and 'Friends of the Earth.' In the Welt Am Sonntag claims, the former allegedly 'received €350,000 'and was supposed to 'entangle German coal-fired power plants in court cases in order to increase the operators' financial and legal risk,' the paper said. The paper also reported that EC officials commissioned the latter to fight against the Mercosur free trade agreement between Europe and South America – 'even though colleagues in their own house were pushing it forward at the same time,' the paper reported. In its statement to Euronews on Saturday, the European Commission underlined that 'NGOs play a crucial role in shaping, monitoring, and enforcing legislation. NGOs also remain fully autonomous and free to establish their own views on all policy matters.' The German report comes at a time when the issue of NGO funding has become an extremely divisive political issue in Brussels. The conservative European People's Party (EPP) has claimed that the Commission instructed NGOs to lobby members of the parliament to further specific policies within the Green Deal, a central political agenda of president Ursula von der Leyen's first term between 2019 and 2024. MEP Monika Hohlmeier (Germany/EPP), told Euronews back in January that her concerns were raised when she examined some 30 funding contracts from 2022 and 2023, as part of the parliament's annual scrutiny of EU budget spending. In January, Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin conceded that some financing from the EU's €5.4 billion environmental programme LIFE may have been inappropriate. 'I have to admit that it was inappropriate for some services in the Commission to enter into agreements that oblige NGOs to lobby members of the European Parliament specifically,' he said. But he also defended the role of NGOs in EU policy making. In April, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) also concluded following a lengthy probe that the Commission's funding of NGOs was 'opaque' and exposed the executive to 'reputational risk.' But the court did not find any breach of EU values from NGOs. To overcome ambiguities, the European Commission issued clear guidance last year to streamline how it provides funding to NGOs. On Saturday, the commission spokesperson told Euronews that EU funding to NGOs was provided 'based on grant agreements, which are complemented by work programmes whose preparation falls under the responsibility of NGOs.' 'As per the guidance, the Commission has instructed its services not to sign off on work programmes if those contain overly specific activities directed at EU institutions or their representatives,' the EC statement added. The institution will take 'further measures,' the spokesperson said, to strengthen transparency and include appropriate safeguards. 'We have been working closely with the European Parliament and the European Court of Auditors to improve this transparency even further. Information on recipients of EU funding, including the names of recipients and amounts, is publicly available on the Commission´s Financial Transparency System website,' the statement said.
Arab Times
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Facing a government crackdown on dissent, Turkey's protesters put aside their differences
ISTANBUL, April 6, (AP): The arrest of an opposition presidential candidate last month has triggered Turkey's largest anti-government protests in more than a decade, uniting demonstrators from different walks of life and sometimes diametrically opposed political views. It includes supporters of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and young people who see all politicians as ineffective. Protesters range from the socialist left to the ultra-nationalist right, and from university students to retirees. They are united by a sense that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, diminishing the secular and democratic values and laws that the country was built upon. They are fueled by outrage at Imamoglu's arrest and the government's attempts to quell the ensuing protests. The protests began after the government arrested Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Erdogan in years, on March 19. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and aiding an outlawed Kurdish organization. Critics say the charges are an excuse to get a key rival out of the way, but the government denies interfering with the legal process. The largest protests have happened alongside rallies of Imamoglu's center-left pro-secularist Republican People's Party, known as the CHP, but many young protesters said they don't support the party. Ogulcan Akti, a 26-year-old university student working two part-time jobs to support his family, said both the opposition and the ruling party are "liars." "The ones in power and the opposition that will come later, they're all the same," he said. "We don't trust anyone.' I n the days after the mayor's arrest, thousands of students converged near Istanbul city hall. Some waved Turkish flags; others held images of left-wing figures from the 1970s and sang a Turkish version of the Italian protest song "Bella ciao." In images on social media, some protesters made the ultranationalist "grey wolf' hand sign, standing next to others showing the leftists' raised fist. Some showed the peace sign favored by both leftists and pro-Kurdish groups, while others chanted slogans attacking the banned militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabanci University, said most protesters he has seen are educated, urban young people aged 18 to 25, but they have little else in common: "This is a much more amorphous, eclectic group politically,' he said.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rival demonstrators come together to oppose Turkey's government
The arrest of an opposition presidential candidate last month has triggered Turkey's largest anti-government protests in more than a decade, uniting demonstrators from different walks of life and sometimes diametrically opposed political views. It includes supporters of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and young people who see all politicians as ineffective. Protesters range from the socialist left to the ultra-nationalist right, and from university students to retirees. They are united by a sense that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, diminishing the secular and democratic values and laws that the country was built upon. They are fuelled by outrage at Mr Imamoglu's arrest and the government's attempts to quell the ensuing protests. The protests began after the government arrested Mr Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Mr Erdogan in years, on March 19. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and aiding an outlawed Kurdish organisation. Critics say the charges are an excuse to get a key rival out of the way, but the government denies interfering with the legal process. The largest protests have happened alongside rallies of Mr Imamoglu's centre-left pro-secularist Republican People's Party, known as the CHP, but many young protesters said they do not support the party. Ogulcan Akti, a 26-year-old university student working two part-time jobs to support his family, said both the opposition and the ruling party are 'liars'. 'The ones in power and the opposition that will come later, they're all the same,' he said. 'We don't trust anyone.' In the days after the mayor's arrest, thousands of students converged near Istanbul city hall. Some waved Turkish flags; others held images of left-wing figures from the 1970s and sang a Turkish version of the Italian protest song 'Bella ciao'. In images on social media, some protesters made the ultranationalist 'grey wolf' hand sign, standing next to others showing the leftists' raised fist. Some showed the peace sign favoured by both leftists and pro-Kurdish groups, while others chanted slogans attacking the banned militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabanci University, said most protesters he has seen are educated, urban young people aged 18 to 25, but they have little else in common: 'This is a much more amorphous, eclectic group politically,' he said. One afternoon last week, dozens of students from Bogazici University gathered at a metro station in Istanbul, many wearing masks to avoid reprisals or arrest. More than 2,000 people, including journalists, have been detained since the protests began. Around 300 were formally arrested on charges including 'joining an illegal protest' and 'resisting the police,' with some accused of 'terrorism links'. Lawyers for the arrested students say that the charge of 'joining an illegal protest' does not justify extended detention, and that the number of arrests is 'unusually high' compared to offences such as terrorism or drugs. At the metro station, 22-year-old management student Burak Turan and his girlfriend slipped into a mall, watching officers detain dozens of protesters. 'We are here because so many students are getting arrested for no reason,' Mr Turan said. 'They act like it's a war; they are exercising wartime laws.' Mr Turan refused to wear a mask, saying he had nothing to be ashamed of. Other protesters include public employees, artists and retirees, many of whom support the CHP. A man in his 60s watching a standoff at city hall said he was there to defend the rights of the younger generation. 'We don't matter, they do. They are our future,' he said. Others were there to speak out against as what they perceived as a slide away from Turkey's secular and democratic values under Mr Erdogan. Mehtap Bozkurt, a 70-year-old pensioner and a CHP supporter, joined a protest outside Istanbul city hall. 'This country is secular and will remain secular,' she said. 'We will resist until the end. I am ready to give my life and blood for this issue.' That does not mean that people protesting are not practising Muslims, said Mr Esen, the Sabanci academic. 'There are Muslims, religious people and those who at least perform some religious duties amongst the protesters,' he said. 'But they also probably define themselves as secular.' Outside the courts in Istanbul, parents and relatives, some holding flowers, maintained an anxious vigil. Some hoped for a loved one's immediate release, while others were overcome with frustration. One family member, who asked to remain anonymous fearing reprisals from officials, told local media that the detained students had 'studied day and night to get into the best universities'. 'Look at the treatment they are receiving now. There are no rights. There is no law. There is no justice,' she said. Another woman showed journalists a picture of her son with a black eye. 'He told me, 'Mom, they beat me up,'' she said tearfully. Another woman said she was a cancer patient left waiting since dawn. 'What did these kids do? Did they murder someone? What did they even do?' Around 300 protesters spent the Eid holiday in prison, separated from their families. Lawyers for several protesters told The Associated Press that students are held in overcrowded cells and face physical and verbal mistreatment, as well as limited access to meals since prison commissaries are closed for Eid. Lawyers also fear that students could miss exams or be expelled as a 'punishment' for taking part in the protests. On Thursday the police issued a statement describing as 'vile slander' claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody. The Interior Ministry said that at least 150 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators. Images from the protests showed riot police using tear gas and plastic pellets, while students threw plastic water bottles and flares. Mr Esen says the protests may mark a pivotal moment for Turkey. 'Will the police violence used by the government against them make them throw in the towel after a certain point or will it bring about a bigger showdown and make this a long-term affair? 'If the latter happens, I will be very optimistic about Turkey becoming democratic again. 'If the former happens, all of this is heading toward a very bad place,' he said. A young female protester wearing a mask watched the standoff with police unfolding near city hall last week. 'I am here today because I do not accept autocracy,' she said. 'Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest means that we accept that there will be no more elections in this country. 'I do not accept this.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Facing a Government Crackdown on Dissent, Türkiye's Protesters Put Aside Their Differences
The arrest of an opposition presidential candidate last month has triggered Türkiye's largest anti-government protests in more than a decade, uniting demonstrators from different walks of life and sometimes diametrically opposed political views. It includes supporters of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and young people who see all politicians as ineffective. Protesters range from the socialist left to the ultra-nationalist right, and from university students to retirees. They are united by a sense that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, diminishing the secular and democratic values and laws that the country was built upon. They are fueled by outrage at Imamoglu's arrest and the government's attempts to quell the ensuing protests. The protests began after the government arrested Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Erdogan in years, on March 19. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and aiding an outlawed Kurdish organization. Critics say the charges are an excuse to get a key rival out of the way, but the government denies interfering with the legal process. The largest protests have happened alongside rallies of Imamoglu's center-left pro-secularist Republican People's Party, known as the CHP, but many young protesters said they don't support the party. Ogulcan Akti, a 26-year-old university student working two part-time jobs to support his family, said both the opposition and the ruling party are "liars." "The ones in power and the opposition that will come later, they're all the same," he said. "We don't trust anyone." In the days after the mayor's arrest, thousands of students converged near Istanbul city hall. Some waved Turkish flags; others held images of left-wing figures from the 1970s and sang a Turkish version of the Italian protest song "Bella ciao." In images on social media, some protesters made the ultranationalist "grey wolf" hand sign, standing next to others showing the leftists' raised fist. Some showed the peace sign favored by both leftists and pro-Kurdish groups, while others chanted slogans attacking the banned militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabanci University, said most protesters he has seen are educated, urban young people aged 18 to 25, but they have little else in common: "This is a much more amorphous, eclectic group politically," he said. One afternoon last week, dozens of students from Bogazici University gathered at a metro station in Istanbul, many wearing masks to avoid reprisals or arrest. More than 2,000 people, including journalists, have been detained since the protests began. Around 300 were formally arrested on charges including "joining an illegal protest" and "resisting the police," with some accused of "terrorism links." Lawyers for the arrested students say that the charge of "joining an illegal protest" does not justify extended detention, and that the number of arrests is "unusually high" compared to offenses such as terrorism or drugs. At the metro station, 22-year-old management student Burak Turan and his girlfriend slipped into a mall, watching officers detain dozens of protesters. "We are here because so many students are getting arrested for no reason," Turan said. "They act like it's a war; they are exercising wartime laws." Turan refused to wear a mask, saying he had nothing to be ashamed of. Other protesters include public employees, artists and retirees, many of whom support the CHP. A man in his 60s watching a standoff at city hall said he was there to defend the rights of the younger generation. "We don't matter, they do. They are our future." he said. Others were there to speak out against as what they perceived as a slide away from Türkiye's secular and democratic values under Erdogan. Mehtap Bozkurt, a 70-year-old pensioner and a CHP supporter, joined a protest outside Istanbul city hall. "This country is secular and will remain secular," she said. "We will resist until the end. I am ready to give my life and blood for this issue." That doesn't mean that people protesting aren't practicing Muslims, said Esen, the Sabanci academic. "There are Muslims, religious people and those who at least perform some religious duties amongst the protesters," he said. "But they also probably define themselves as secular." Parents protest treatment of students Outside the courts in Istanbul, parents and relatives, some holding flowers, maintained an anxious vigil. Some hoped for a loved one's immediate release, while others were overcome with frustration. One family member, who asked to remain anonymous fearing reprisals from officials, told local media that the detained students had "studied day and night to get into the best universities." "Look at the treatment they are receiving now. There are no rights. There is no law. There is no justice," she said. Another woman showed journalists a picture of her son with a black eye. "He told me, 'Mom, they beat me up,'" she said tearfully. Another woman said she was a cancer patient left waiting since dawn. "What did these kids do? Did they murder someone? What did they even do?" Around 300 protesters spent the Eid holiday in prison, separated from their families. Lawyers for several protesters told The Associated Press that students are held in overcrowded cells and face physical and verbal mistreatment, as well as limited access to meals since prison commissaries are closed for Eid. Lawyers also fear that students could miss exams or be expelled as a "punishment" for taking part in the protests. On Thursday the police issued a statement describing as "vile slander" claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody. The Interior Ministry said that at least 150 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators. Images from the protests showed riot police using tear gas and plastic pellets, while students threw plastic water bottles and flares. A pivotal moment Esen says the protests may mark a pivotal moment for Türkiye. "Will the police violence used by the government against them make them throw in the towel after a certain point or will it bring about a bigger showdown and make this a long-term affair? If the latter happens, I will be very optimistic about Türkiye becoming democratic again. If the former happens, all of this is heading toward a very bad place," he said. A young female protester wearing a mask watched the standoff with police unfolding near city hall last week. "I am here today because I do not accept autocracy," she said. "Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest means that we accept that there will be no more elections in this country. I do not accept this."
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Facing a government crackdown on dissent, Turkey's protesters put aside their differences
ISTANBUL (AP) — The arrest of an opposition presidential candidate last month has triggered Turkey's largest anti-government protests in more than a decade, uniting demonstrators from different walks of life and sometimes diametrically opposed political views. It includes supporters of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and young people who see all politicians as ineffective. Protesters range from the socialist left to the ultra-nationalist right, and from university students to retirees. They are united by a sense that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has grown increasingly authoritarian, diminishing the secular and democratic values and laws that the country was built upon. They are fueled by outrage at Imamoglu's arrest and the government's attempts to quell the ensuing protests. Protests began after opposition leader was arrested The protests began after the government arrested Imamoglu, the man seen as posing the most serious electoral challenge to Erdogan in years, on March 19. Prosecutors accuse him of corruption and aiding an outlawed Kurdish organization. Critics say the charges are an excuse to get a key rival out of the way, but the government denies interfering with the legal process. The largest protests have happened alongside rallies of Imamoglu's center-left pro-secularist Republican People's Party, known as the CHP, but many young protesters said they don't support the party. Ogulcan Akti, a 26-year-old university student working two part-time jobs to support his family, said both the opposition and the ruling party are 'liars." 'The ones in power and the opposition that will come later, they're all the same," he said. "We don't trust anyone.' Students led the charge In the days after the mayor's arrest, thousands of students converged near Istanbul city hall. Some waved Turkish flags; others held images of left-wing figures from the 1970s and sang a Turkish version of the Italian protest song 'Bella ciao." In images on social media, some protesters made the ultranationalist 'grey wolf' hand sign, standing next to others showing the leftists' raised fist. Some showed the peace sign favored by both leftists and pro-Kurdish groups, while others chanted slogans attacking the banned militant Kurdistan Workers' Party. Berk Esen, an associate professor of political science at Sabanci University, said most protesters he has seen are educated, urban young people aged 18 to 25, but they have little else in common: 'This is a much more amorphous, eclectic group politically,' he said. Anger spurs unrest One afternoon last week, dozens of students from Bogazici University gathered at a metro station in Istanbul, many wearing masks to avoid reprisals or arrest. More than 2,000 people, including journalists, have been detained since the protests began. Around 300 were formally arrested on charges including 'joining an illegal protest' and 'resisting the police,' with some accused of 'terrorism links.' Lawyers for the arrested students say that the charge of 'joining an illegal protest' does not justify extended detention, and that the number of arrests is 'unusually high' At the metro station, 22-year-old management student Burak Turan and his girlfriend slipped into a mall, watching officers detain dozens of protesters. 'We are here because so many students are getting arrested for no reason,' Turan said. 'They act like it's a war; they are exercising wartime laws.' Turan refused to wear a mask, saying he had nothing to be ashamed of. Other protesters include public employees, artists and retirees, many of whom support the CHP. A man in his 60s watching a standoff at city hall said he was there to defend the rights of the younger generation. 'We don't matter, they do. They are our future.' he said. Others were there to speak out against as what they perceived as a slide away from Turkey's secular and democratic values under Erdogan. Mehtap Bozkurt, a 70-year-old pensioner and a CHP supporter, joined a protest outside Istanbul city hall. 'This country is secular and will remain secular," she said. "We will resist until the end. I am ready to give my life and blood for this issue.' That doesn't mean that people protesting aren't practicing Muslims, said Esen, the Sabanci academic. 'There are Muslims, religious people and those who at least perform some religious duties amongst the protesters," he said. 'But they also probably define themselves as secular.' Parents protest treatment of students Outside the courts in Istanbul, parents and relatives, some holding flowers, maintained an anxious vigil. Some hoped for a loved one's immediate release, while others were overcome with frustration. One family member, who asked to remain anonymous fearing reprisals from officials, told local media that the detained students had 'studied day and night to get into the best universities.' 'Look at the treatment they are receiving now. There are no rights. There is no law. There is no justice,' she said. Another woman showed journalists a picture of her son with a black eye. 'He told me, 'Mom, they beat me up,'' she said tearfully. Another woman said she was a cancer patient left waiting since dawn. 'What did these kids do? Did they murder someone? What did they even do?' Around 300 protesters spent the Eid holiday in prison, separated from their families. Lawyers for several protesters told The Associated Press that students are held in overcrowded cells and face physical and verbal mistreatment, as well as limited access to meals since prison commissaries are closed for Eid. Lawyers also fear that students could miss exams or be expelled as a 'punishment' for taking part in the protests. On Thursday the police issued a statement describing as 'vile slander' claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody. The Interior Ministry said that at least 150 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators. Images from the protests showed riot police using tear gas and plastic pellets, while students threw plastic water bottles and flares. A pivotal moment Esen says the protests may mark a pivotal moment for Turkey. 'Will the police violence used by the government against them make them throw in the towel after a certain point or will it bring about a bigger showdown and make this a long-term affair? If the latter happens, I will be very optimistic about Turkey becoming democratic again. If the former happens, all of this is heading toward a very bad place," he said. A young female protester wearing a mask watched the standoff with police unfolding near city hall last week. 'I am here today because I do not accept autocracy,' she said. 'Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest means that we accept that there will be no more elections in this country. I do not accept this.'
