The leading news today is certainly the massive protests against President Morsi in Egypt. But uprisings of great importance continue in Turkey & Brazil. After Turkish artist Erdem Gunduz stood facing the Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim Square, Istanbul in silent protest, the silent “Standing Man” protests have continued to grow & now include "The Taksim Square Book Club,” where many activists stand reading a book.
The Atatürk Center is the focus of protests because of the political respect held for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, an Ottoman & Turkish army officer & the first president of Turkey. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI & the consequent occupation by Allied forces, he led the national movement for independence which defeated the Allied occupation. He then developed a program of political, economic, & cultural reforms transforming the former Ottoman Empire into a modern, secular nation-state. He is considered the father of Turkish democracy.
The silent protestors are reading many different kinds of books, including novels, short stories, & philosophical books by Turkish writers & others from around the world. Many add silent irony to their protest by reading George Orwell’s “1984”--which may be more a case of flipping the bird to Erdogan than irony. One woman here is reading “The Speech,” the text of a speech by Atatürk & the other is reading a biography of Atatürk. One can only admire the silent audacity.
(Photo by George Henton/Al Jazeera)
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