… is becoming Turkey’s Tienanmen “tank man.”
(Click for larger image. You may have to click twice. Or go here.)
Who is she, this lady dressed for a garden party? Does anybody know? I imagine her tossing an irreverent comment at the riot cops. Obviously, that’s the only thing she could be tossing — words of disrespect for Authoritah. Or who knows? Maybe they just didn’t think she said, “Hello” or “Good day” with proper deference.
The second (upper right) image is the one becoming an icon. But damn, it’s the fourth one (lower right) that gets me; the cop actually has to chase her down and attack her from behind for his payback.
Ah, now that’s Manhood with a Capital-M. That’s power. That’s the majesty of the state.
Pictures such as these go a long way to diffuse the “authority” of the state. These goons are universally stupid and do more to destroy their own “legitimacy” whenever they act in such a boorish manner. Baiting them into such brutish behavior is easy. Catching it on film and sharing it with the world is priceless. What we in Amerika have to worry about is the thugs trying to steal your camera (and possibly killing you in the process) before you can send it around the world. That is the great threat to their facade of power. This is what it will take to show them for what they truly are — the bully boys of the state, protectors of an illegitimate power elite, thugs with badges.
Either their riot cops have gotten hit with some budget cuts and they’re using some lame crap or she’s got serious composure…Real heavy duty OC spray is horrible.
Of course it takes a second to really f**k you up so…
I’ve been sprayed with OC twice. I’m betting that had the photographer continued shooting for another 4 or 5 frames the picture would not be so pretty. On the other hand if she has been trained to fight under the influence of OC she could be turning her back preparatory to sucker punching the thug’s lights out. Now that would be a picture worth having!
The news reports say what she’s being sprayed with is tear gas. He’s got a large cannister on his back rather than a small one in his hand. God forbid anybody would give such a hot-tempered thug that much OC to spray!
It’s my understanding that tear gas is never supposed to be directed at an individual like that and that it’s dangerous to do so.
Claire, you may be right about it not being OC that the thug is using. OC is usually a pale yellow-orange color. The stuff he’s using seems whitish in color. Tear gas/mace is generally less effective than OC but is more dangerous to use. Also, OC works better if you don’t hose down your victim. Finely atomized works faster and better. Perhaps the thug will get what he deserves if someone sees the pictures and recognizes him.
It’s interesting that this is having such an impact in Turkey. I’ve seen _dozens_ of photos just like this taken in the “land of the free” that never make a difference. In fact, if someone showed me these pictures from Turkey without any caption or explanation, I’d assume they were taken in the US.
Please don’t describe that thug/thing a man. Real Men don’t go spraying anything nasty or dangerous like that unless against a truly dangerous opponent.
As for the tactic of spraying stuff like that. Regardless of whether its dangerous or not, you do think any of them really cares what they’re supposed to do as long as they get the reaction they want? After all they’ve got governmental immUnity. They do what they do because they think they can get away with it, and usually do, unfortunately.
Setting aside what she is being sprayed with the scenes are very worrying. Erdogan is leaning further and further towards his Islamist roots. When Ataturk reformed Turkey he turned it into a secular state as he had long recognised the danger an unreformed Islam posed to modern society and the freedoms we like it to contain.
Erdogan is trying to set aside these reforms and attempting to place within Turkey’s armed forces and police senior officers that agree with him. The Turkish military have always been aggressively secular and are deeply unhappy with the prospect of Islamist power.
A large part of the protesters a complaining about these new policies and many of the scenes are haunting familiar to Iran in 78/79.
Considering as a member of NATO with practically the largest armed forces in Europe with a vast armament of modern US and European arms defection to the Islamic states poses real security issues in the middle east and of course the resources therein.
Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and turkey’s government and electorate we steer a cooler path.
[Considering as a member of NATO with practically the largest armed forces in Europe with a vast armament of modern US and European arms defection to the Islamic states poses real security issues in the middle east and of course the resources therein.]
Uh, no. The security threat is the US govt sticking its noses in other peoples’ business. And you don’t have to worry about resources; if there is oil in the ground, it will be pumped out and sold on the market, no matter who is doing the pumping.
Of course it will Paul and the US being a much loved country in that region will be their first customer. You simply have no idea how hated you are in that part of the world by the people with this ideology. Something anyone from stalins Russia through to revolutionary Iran could tell you is that economics takes a long time to overcome ideology. Whatever you may consider the rights or wrongs of of your governments actions you’ll find they are of little consequence when you cannot afford to fill your car, feed your family, or even keep the lights on. At the moment the status quo favours you, it need not always be so and plenty of factions would pay good money to see you fall.
Events like this have a way of escalating beyond initial events just like Irans revolution!
I’m sure Turkey will not allow private ownership of guns. Too bad. That cop could have become a marked man. And when the opportunity comes, a dead one with a note on his face: Remember the lady is Red?
John Farnam was right; stay away from riots and mass demonstrations in the first place!
Cctyker, turkey rank number 14 of 178 countries for private gun ownership. There are 3 million registered firearms the bulk of which are shotguns and handguns. There are 9 million plus unregistered firearms not including arsenals held by the Kurdish militias.
In some muslim countries, just wearing that dress would get her stoned.
Too many patterns keep being repeated.
OT kinda but I think the worst thing about OC is that it isn’t like being tased where it hurts for a minute and it’s done. The pain, funky smell and regret from that stuff linger around from just one good spray probably even longer than the funky smell and regret that the psychotic hippie chick you hooked up with on the second day of the riots left you with. (If your dogs rolls in chicken grease and dirt and your first instinct is to cuddle with it then congratulations men, add ’19 year old white girls who have no idea how to take care of dreadlocks’ to your list of potential dates)
Shower with cold water, because as tempting as scrubbing with hot water is to get it off with you’ll not only open up your pores (VERY painful) but if the water is hot enough it’ll re-activate the chemicals turning your shower into a gas chamber. And lean way forward when you wash your top half or else your bottom half is in for a world of pain.