As the protest sparked by the government's plan to destroy Gezi Park in Istanbul to replace with yet another shopping mall (and a barracks) enters its 8th day, we spoke with journalist and film director Metin Yeğin who has been at the demonstrations in Istanbul.

We asked him first of all to give us a background to the protest, the context in which this huge revolt was born.

"The struggle against urban transformation has been going on for many years in Turkey", he said.

"This struggle, - he added - which we also always supported and organized, grew with the inclusion of those objecting to the demolition of shanty houses (gecekondu) and the neoliberal transformation of cities. And the struggle has recently been maximized with the growing of reactions against projects such as the third bridge and New Istanbul. This period has also witnessed the creation of remarkable public opinion against HES (hydroelectric power plant) and nuclear power plants constructions. And this reaction has reached this point after the steps taken for the demolition of Gezi Park and construction of a shopping mall instead".
Yeğin underlined that "There is point that is missed when looked from the outside, which is the fact that Taksim Square is a historical area of great importance to the left. It is forbidden to enter the square on May Day since the 1997 May 1 massacre. Since then the left has been fighting to reclaim its right to demonstrate in Taksim. The square witnessed severe clashes on each May Day until two year ago since when people are allowed to enter the area and no clashes break out between people and security forces. This year, the square has once again been closed for May Day events on the grounds of construction works going on in the area. Clashes took place again on the May Day in Taksim Square which has now become a place of resistance against the government".

Then the AKP government announced the intention to demolish the park and build another shopping mall. A no-place instead of a common area.

"When things reached this point, protestors have recently started Gezi Park act to prevent the demolition of one of the very rare green areas in Istanbul. As a matter of fact, people had already known about the demolition project since it was announced two years ago, but it was when scoops were driven to uproot trees that people defended the trees, mainly left-wing and environmental circles but in very deed the intellectual and sensitive middle-class circles. The widespread social impact created a justification for the reaction of people who wanted to say 'enough' to the uprooting of trees, including a wide circle of bourgeois artists who commented the demolition as a shame".

On the first day of the protest, Independent socialist deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder came to the park and prevented the demolition by standing in front of construction vehicles.

"It was not something usual in this country to see a member of the parliament being able to prevent any anything because of the fact that a member of the parliament is not someone of big importance in our country. However, Sırrı was at the same a constituent of the peace process. Police first didn't attack him because of the peace process he was in way representing".

One day later, demonstrators were once again in the park area.

"By this stage there were only sensitive intellectuals and countless twitter messages in the area. The occupation of the park began after that, led by intellectuals, young people, representatives of chambers of architects and engineers. These chambers always support this kind of protests in the country, like doctors and lawyers as well, so it was not an extraordinary scene at the beginning. Then people brought their tents and started to stay there. Those staying in the area weren't more than a hundred. Police raided the tents at 5 in the morning and threw tear gas inside them. They went on to burn the tents down, which led to a great reaction. Sırrı came and the demolition was prevented once again. The climate in the area started to change as people were coming to the Gezi Park in masses. Those from the left-wing were anyway ready to fight for Taksim".

The composition of the protest is quite interesting.

"Differently from usual, artists, authors and popular people from the bourgeois class have also started to support the resistance on twitter and even to come to the area. Forums were taking place in the area in the meanwhile. People were singing and dancing in the park where a mass festivity took place in the evening, joined by everyone. I found it strange then, but not now after so many things".