Nine months ago a 15 year old boy, Berkin Elvan, goes out to buy some bread, there is a demonstration going on, the young boy is hit on the head by a police fired teargas canister. His life is over, he didn't die then, but spent 9 months in a coma and died on Tuesday. The simple action of going to buy bread brought 9 months of hell and torment for his friends and family and a slow death to a youth. Shades of 6 December 2008 when Greek police in Athens, shot 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos.
Berkin Elvan's funeral has sparked massive protest across Turkey, and rightly so, teargas, rubber bullets, baton charges, can all kill. The state is well aware of that fact, and is prepare to accept deaths from their actions, in an attempt to intimidate, and crush dissent among the people.
Mourners follow Berkin Elvan's coffin in Istanbul. Photograph: Osman Orsal/Reuters
Tens of thousands of people have turned out for the funeral of a Turkish boy who died nine months after being hit by a police teargas canister during anti-government protests.Read the full article HERE: English. Spanish.
The death on Tuesday of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan after a long coma sparked violent clashes between protesters and riot police across the country.
Police were bracing for further clashes as thousands converged in Istanbul calling for the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to resign.
Berkin was hit on the head by a teargas canister after going out to buy bread during the demonstrations last year.
