The AKP rally in Hopa within the context of its electoral campaign resulted in a local uprising of the people.
Answering the call of the revolutionary and progressive forces, the ESP , the People's Houses and the ODP , the people of Hopa (a city at the coast of Black Sea on the most northeastern edge of Turkey) gathered in the city center on May 31 before the AKP rally where Prime Minister Erdogan would speak. The people shouted their demands against the privatization of Caykur (the state monopoly of tea production, which is one of the most important products of the region) and against the plan to build a series of new hydroelectric stations (HES) at the cost of the destruction of the nature and land in the region. {divide}
The police brutally attacked the protest, where retired teacher Metin Lokumcu (54 years) lost his life as a result of tear gas. Lokumcu's death created a great anger among the people. The protests and the clashes with the police continued during and after the meeting, too. The protestors threw stones at Erdogan's vehicle while leaving the city.
Progressive and revolutionary forces called for demonstrations in many cities to protest the death of Lokumcu and to show solidarity with the people of Hopa. Actions took place in Izmir, Rize, Mersin, Adana, Eskisehir, Antioquia, Bursa, Giresun, Ankara and Istanbul. The police brutally attacked thousands of demonstrators in Istanbul and Ankara and arrested 95 demonstrators.
At Hopa, the police carried out many house raids and operations on the headquarters of organizations and cafes and created a situation of emergency state in Hopa. They cut all roads towards the city, disconnected city telephones, deployed panzers in neighborhoods and in the city centre and employed thousands of policemen for identification controls in many streets. The exact number of detainees is not known at the moment, but it is known that the Lokumcu family and members of the People's Houses, the ESP and the ODP are among the detainees.
More protests are expected today in Hopa and other cities.