Boycott and Strike at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University in Solidarity with the Victims of the Ankara Massacre
Anti-government rallies continue in Turkey after the bomb attacks in the Ankara peace rally on Saturday, which left at least 128 killed and hundreds wounded. Labor unions and trade chambers declared a two-day nationwide strike to protest the AKP government, whom they find guilty of the massacre.
Personnel and students of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) supported the strike decision with a massive boycott and strike in the campus. All the services in the university library and cafeterias were stopped, and there were no classes in many departments.
Strike/boycott program started with a march in the campus with thousands of participants, including students, workers, and academic and administrative staff. The march was ended with a press statement in the historic “Devrim” (Revolution) stadium in the campus.
In the afternoon, an open lecture and peace forum was held in a big lecture hall with hundreds of participants. The group then shared their experiences of the grievous explosion and discussed possible methods of raising resistance and building peace.
Organization committee took security measures themselves by searching the lecture hall, as well as the bags at the entrance to the stadium and the hall. The strike and boycott will continue tomorrow.
Yesterday, Co-chairs and MPs of pro-Kurdish HDP (People’s Democratic Party) were accompanied by several hundred citizens at the central train station to pay respect for the deceased before the commemoration gathering in Sıhhiye Square, where the peace rally was planning to go on the day before.
Solidarity rallies for the Ankara massacre victims have been held all over the world this past weekend.
