Sunday 23 June 2013

Turkish Police use 'Chemical Weapons' on Protestors

WATCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zi4pRW7pMk
As I wrote in my report from the trade union delegation visit to Istanbul last weekend, the pictures of the TOMA water-cannon vehicle spraying peaceful demonstrators only tell part of the story.

As I explained then, after being sprayed with the 'water' from these police vehicles, "it took all of us time to realise that the choking fumes and burning skin were coming from the water from the TOMA. A soaking from this chemical spray left protestors clutching for air and ready to vomit ... if the British and American governments are really concerned about the use of chemical weaponry, perhaps they could start by pressurising their ally Erdogan to stop spraying acidic chemicals on its people". 

Now I know why our skin was burning, eyes stinging and lungs choking. A Turkish news website has posted a video showing police adding pepper-spray directly to the water-tanks!

Have a look for yourself on: http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/tazyikli-suyun-icinde-ne-var-/gundem/detay/1723722/default.htm

Is it pepper-spray? Well it's clearly a chemical manufactured by Jenix, an Istanbul-based pepper-spray manufacturer with a website: http://www.jenixpepperspray.com/en/

Who can tell what the side-effects and reactions are of receiving a soaking in this kind of chemical, a chemical sprayed sprayed so liberally around Taksim Square last weekend?  It looked, and felt, like a form of chemical weaponry to me.

For further information, see a video report of Friday's Lobby of the Turkish Embassy where I have a chance to make these points on film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zi4pRW7pMk

Read my report from last weekend's delegation to Istanbul, including photographs of the TOMA water-cannon vehicles:
http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/direngezi-report-from-our-trade-union.html

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