#2025 Turkish Protests

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ruth Michaelson at The Guardian:

Turkish authorities have arrested more than 1,100 people including journalists, while bombarding the social media platform X with requests to block hundreds of accounts after tens of thousands took to the streets in the largest anti-government protests in years. One journalist was detained while covering demonstrations that took place outside Istanbul city hall, while nine others were detained in dawn raids. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking after a cabinet meeting in the capital, Ankara, called the protests a “movement of violence”. He said the country’s main opposition Republican People’s party (CHP) would be held accountable for injuries to police officers and damage to property, adding that they should stop “provoking” the public. The sweeping arrests came the morning after the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested on corruption charges and sent to a high-security prison on the outskirts of the city, on the same day he was named the opposition’s candidate for president. Mass demonstrations triggered by İmamoğlu’s detention amount to the largest in Turkey in more than a decade. The protests have resulted in increasing pushback from the Turkish authorities, with police now readily deploying pepper spray, teargas and armoured water cannon trucks against crowds gathering in Istanbul as well as other major towns and cities across the country. On Monday evening, crowds of students filled streets in the Beşiktaş neighbourhood, but were quickly hemmed in by lines of riot police. The Turkish interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said 1,133 people had been detained in five days, starting with the dawn raid in which İmamoğlu and tens of municipal officials were taken into custody. Many of those detained in the days since were arrested for breaching a city-wide ban on protests in Istanbul. The city’s governor also restricted entry to Istanbul over the weekend in an attempt to curb the demonstrations. Yerlikaya added that “some circles have been abusing the right to assembly and demonstration, attempting to disrupt public order, inciting street events and attacking our police. Such actions are aimed at disrupting the peace and security of our people.”. Turkish authorities deny that the charges against İmamoğlu, a rival of the president, are political. Even so the crackdown on the Istanbul mayor as well as the protests have proven costly to the Turkish state, as economists estimate the Turkish central bank spent up to $25bn (£19.3bn) propping up the lira in three days last week.

Turkey’s war on journalists (or really anyone anti-Erdoğan) has ramped up in recent days, and that’s due to protests against the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. İmamoğlu would be favored to potentially beat Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, hence, the politically-motivated arrest to throw him off the ballot.

[propussyslayer]

SOME REAL SHIT is going down in Turkey, it's fascism, they are taking away our hard earned rights to vote!

The mayor of Istanbul, Imamoglu's university diploma has been unlawfully cancelled in a matter of days after he has announced himself a candidate for the next presidential election!

Faced with protests, the government supporting police force is basically torturing the protesters with tear gas, hosing them down, BEATING THEM(who are mostly COLLEGE STUDENTS, TEENAGERS)

THE LAW SPECIFICALLY STATES, THAT IF NECESSARY, PEOPLE OF TURKEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST ANY UNLAWFUL POLITICAL SCENE. A "PROTEST BAN" IS UNLAWFUL.

March 20, 2025 - People across Türkiye clashed with riot police as they defied the protest ban, after the AKP had Erdoğan's main political rival Imamoğlu arrested. [video]

[contemplatingoutlander]

The Boston Globe: Rümeysa Öztürk: What to know about the Tufts student arrested by immigration officials

Rümeysa Öztürk is a 30 year old Turkish national. She had a valid student visa and until recently was pursuing her third year of doctoral studies at the Tufts University Elliot-Pearson Child Study and Human Development program.

Video source for gifs

Late on March 25, 2025, while on her her way to end her daily Ramadan fast with friends, Rümeysa was arrested by DHS agents (some in masks), and taken across state lines, without advance notification, despite a Massachusetts court order (although the DOJ claims she was moved before the court order).

If you haven't heard this slightly built woman cry out in fear, go watch this video. It is heartbreaking.

Rümeysa is currently being detained for possible deportation at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile.

South Louisiana ICE Processing Center

Rümeysa's only "crime" seems to have been being one of four authors of a year-old op-ed in a university newspaper (The Tufts Daily) expressing dismay that the Tuft administration was being "dismissive of" some student senate resolutions calling upon Tufts "to divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel."

Yet, the Trump administration, in its haste (and incompetence) to deport immigrants, appears to have incorrectly prejudged Rümeysa to be one of the "bad people" that Trump's administration claims they are rounding up to protect Americans.

Video source for gif

TRUMP: We're getting rid of a lot of bad people…. They’re being taken out. And we hope this court system that's become so active all of a sudden in trying to protect some very, very bad uh… people of crime. Uh, they have to stop.

We already know that the incompetent and cruel Trump administration, has sent innocent people to El Slavador's horrible CECOT prison, like Andrys, a gay, Venezuelan make-up artist who was mistaken to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang because of his tattoos.

And yet, the Trump administration, as always, denies making mistakes and Trump rails against the judges who are trying to stop innocent people like Rümeysa and Andrys from the cruel excesses of the administration's (often incompetent) deportation practices.

According to CNN, Secretary of State Marco "Rubio suggested without evidence [that Rümeysa] was involved in disruptive student protests over Israel’s military operations in Gaza." Yet, her brother Asim, claimed that aside from cowriting the op-ed, Rümeysa did NOT engage "in any provocative or aggressive action regarding the Palestine issue." And, according to The Boston Globe, people at Tufts who knew Rümeysa said "that she wasn't necessarily a leader of campus activism at Tufts, though she did support Palestinian human rights."

According to a lovely tribute to Rümeysa written by her department at Tufts, she is studying child and adolescent development, and appears to be a caring individual who is highly valued by the Tuft's community. As such, she did not deserve to be spirited away to an ICE detention facility and potentially have her life and graduate studies derailed by an unfair deportation.

video source for gifs

And to think that many of Trump's MAGA followers cheer on this cruel behavior of ICE towards law abiding legal immigrants like Rümeysa whose only "crimes" are that they have chosen in the recent past to express opinions against the needless suffering and deaths of tens of thousands of civilian women, children, and men in Gaza.

STOP THE SIMPLISTIC BLACK-AND-WHITE THINKING: Just because people don't agree with the slaughter of the Gazan people does NOT mean they are pro-Hamas, or support the horrific Oct. 7th terrorist attack against Israel. It is this simplistic black-and-white thinking that Trump's administration and Marco Rubio's State Department are using as a justification for terrorizing innocent graduate students like Rümeysa.

Under Trump, America is being led down a dark path of hate and scapegoating that is limiting the rights of due process of many people in marginalized groups. Trump loves to talk about how his deportation policies are "getting rid of a lot of bad people." But if we as a nation do not ensure due process so that innocents are not swept up and unduly punished in Trump's efforts to control immigration, then we collectively are allowing our nation to become no better than autocracies like Russia and China.

[Below the cut are transcripts of The Boston Globe "Rümeysa Öztürk" video and of the captions in the above gifs made from the The New York Times Video of "Surveillance Footage Shows ICE Arrest of Tufts Student." Below the cut is also an excerpt from a beautiful tribute to Rümeysa from her department at Tufts.]

Above is a link to a truly beautiful tribute to Rümeysa from the people in her department at Tufts. Here is an excerpt from that tribute:

Rumeysa’s presence on campus has been missed, as her genuineness and care for others have been felt deeply here at Tufts. Her fellow students put it best: “Rumeysa is usually the first to arrive on campus: she boils water in the kettle and is ready with a warm greeting. Today, she is still everywhere with us. She is in the Turkish tea that we brewed this morning; she is at the top of our inboxes, planning the pastries she would bring to our iftar tomorrow evening; she is on the wall with her byline in an article about refugee representation in children's television and in a colorful Istanbul postcard; she is in the red swivel chair that she always sits in. Even in a department focused on human development, Rumeysa stands out as someone who reminds us daily of the importance of protecting children, cultivating joy, and connecting to our own deeper humanity. We are not the same without her steady, gentle presence”.

The Boston Globe "Rümeysa Öztürk" Video Transcript

GIULIA MCDONNELL NIETO DEL RIO (NARRATOR): On Tuesday, federal immigration authorities detained Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk, who is a Turkish national here on a valid visa, according to her attorney, and took her into ICE custody. Video obtained by the Globe shows plainclothes immigration agents approaching Öztürk as she's walking on the sidewalk in Somerville. Öztürk’s attorney has filed a habeas petition in Boston Federal Court asking her client to be released from ICE custody. Öztürk’s arrest comes as the Trump administration is cracking down on illegal immigrants here on green cards or visas, who have participated in some way or another in pro-Palestinian activism on campuses. However, those who know Öztürk told the Globe that she wasn't necessarily a leader of campus activism at Tufts, though she did support Palestinian human rights. Advocates and professors who knew Öztürk said they were absolutely shocked by the apprehension of her by federal immigration authorities. Questions remain about why Öztürk was apprehended as she was here legally on a student visa. Her attorneys and community advocates are pushing to get answers.

Transcript of Captions in Gifs Made From The New York Times Video of "Surveillance Footage Shows ICE Arrest of Tufts Student"

FIRST GIF CAPTIONS: A security camera captured the moment a Tufts University student was arrested by agents from the Department of Homeland Security. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish citizen, had a valid student visa, according to a statement from her lawyer. SECOND GIF CAPTIONS: Ozturk, who is Muslim, was heading out to break her Ramadan fast with friends when she was detained. The university’s president said administrators were told that Ozturk’s visa had been terminated. The university is trying to verify whether that information is true. THIRD GIF CAPTIONS: Ozturk was listed as a co-author for an opinion essay that criticized university leaders for their stance on the war in Gaza. FOURTH GIF CAPTIONS: A spokesman for Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to questions about the case on Wednesday.

[eklectic-magick]

Istanbul mayor's arrest triggers largest protests in Turkey in over a decade

Turkish authorities have detained 1,133 people across Turkey since the start of protests five days ago against the detention of Istanbul. Police use pepper spray on demonstrators wearing Mevlevi/Dervish outfit, March 23rd 2025.

[arsonqueen]

What's Happening in Turkey?

​Turkey is currently experiencing significant political unrest following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure and potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. İmamoğlu was arrested on March 19, 2025 on questionable corruption charges which many believe are an attempt to suppress opposition voices and curtail democratic freedoms in the country.

The protests reflect broader concerns over political repression, the erosion of democratic institutions, and the growing control of the ruling party over various aspects of Turkish life. Many demonstrators believe that the arrest is part of a broader crackdown on dissent and a sign of the increasingly authoritarian nature of the government.

This event has sparked widespread protests across the country, leading to over 1,133 detentions, including at least ten journalists. The demonstrations, which have persisted for six nights, are among the largest Turkey has seen in over a decade.

[respectthepetty]

petty i have a question regarding the four-pointed star cutout shirt tm

i thought joong said he was straight several years ago—but. but. i was wondering if you knew whether or not he said it in turkish? iirc he was telling his friends in turkey that he was a bl actor (2moons2 era) but reassuring them he was still a man which is also a way of saying you’re straight but also more specifically just not a bottom if that makes sense? god this is a rambling mess sorry

As a JoongDunk fan (first, and a human second), I remember this controversy in 2019 very well during 2 Moons 2. I remember him saying, in Turkish, that he was a "real man" and people understood it as him not being gay, then other people claiming he was simply saying he wasn't a bottom, but I don't speak Turkish and . . .

I really don't care what he actually said.

On a personal note, I claimed for YEARS that I was straight. I helped found the LGBTQ Resource Center when I was an undergrad on my college campus. I was part of the Queer Straight Alliance in high school, college, and the faculty advisor for my current college's affinity group. I was planning National Coming Out Day events, managing drag shows, protesting against prop 8 and for marriage equality, and helping with the state's queer film festival. Also, I was sleeping with EVERYONE! Yet I was sternly claiming allyship.

Because even smart bitches do dumb shit we all have our own journeys.

But also, Joong is an actor, and with every fiber in my being, I hope all these BL boys and GL girls lie like Robert Pattinson on a random weekday in April. Just lying for no good ass reason. Lying simply because they can. Lying because they want to. Lying because it's the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off. Lie like that dumb trad wife slogan — Lie. Laugh. Love. or whatever they say. Be like Nike — Just Do It! Or be like Kay Jewelers since 'Every Kiss Begins with a Lie" or something like that. Lie because we don't deserve to know one damn thing about their personal lives.

The point is I don't care what Joong said when he was 18-years old and thrust into the spotlight by a company who was trying to turn a profit (because ALL companies are trying to turn a profit), and I really don't care what he says now that he is a branded pair under the largest company to gain profits off its branded pairs.

But do not mistake this for defending Joong.

I'm defending the right for us to evolve in the way we personally understand ourselves and for the gays to lie whenever the hell they want.

It's about to be 2025.

LIE!

Because if someone wants to know if we are queer, let them piece that shit together on their own like a jigsaw puzzle and they are a kindergartner developing fine motor skills.

Lie. Laugh. Love (whoever the fuck you want)!

[carusolikey]

So You Want to Fight Fascism?

A handy compilation of resources and guides for getting through a pathetic attempt at suppressing the American spirit of Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness.

As I remain on the path of intentional civil disobedience, I will continue to add sources as I receive / come across them. This will be a dynamic document, constantly updating. Please feel free to share it wide and far and remember, that we are stronger together.

Let's get started!

Simple Sabotage Field Manual (Declassified) by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services

Written during WWII as a means of helping everyday people fight fascism by clogging up the system in simple ways, this guide was declassified by the CIA in 2008. It's now currently available to download for free, via Project Gutenberg.

Upcoming Protests

Advice for Protesting, From an Aging Anarchist

The Protesters' Guide to Smartphone Security

Protests Week of February 3, 2025 @ OPM in DC

February 6th, 11 a.m. - USAid Protest @ US State Dept. in DC

February 6th, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. @ Savannah, GA

February 6th, 5 p.m. @ University of Washington Campus

February 6th, 1 p.m. @ University of Minnesota, MN

February 6th, 3 p.m. @ 24th & L Streets, Omaha, NE

Additional Upcoming Protests

February 7th - 15th, 2025

February 16th - May 1st, 2025

50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Day

The Official Website for Future Protests

The General Strike

Historical Significance of the 3.5% Rule in Peaceful Protests

Articles & Reading Material to Defy Fascism

The Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide

In January 2017, after being published as a series of spontaneous tweets, this Guide went viral in the US and many other countries, being translated into several languages, from Turkish to Filipino. It was printed on placards during anti-Trump protests, studied at two American universities, quoted by CNBC’s Joy Reid on national TV and recommended by former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

Each tweet ended with their trademark signature, “- With love, your Eastern European friends”, and the accompanying hashtag #LearnFromEurope.

On Tyranny - Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

Free download of Timothy Snyder's social and political playbook, offering small but significant steps individuals can take to resist autocratic rule.

The Logic of Destruction & How to Resist It

A follow up to On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder.

Robert Reich's Guide for Resisting Neofascism

A top ten list of everyday things to do to protect the vulnerable, organize boycotts, and keep fighting, while continuing to find the joy in the humanity, the bravery, the indefatigable spirit of America.

Starting Somewhere: Community Organizing for Socially Awkward People Who've Had Enough

This book offers readers a crash course in organizing, educating, and agitating in the 21st Century. Written with a mix of incriminating anecdotes, personal retellings, and historical examples, "Starting Somewhere" is a first-person look at radical community organizing for misfits and outcasts committed to saving this planet for some inexplicable reason.

Evaluating Resources & Misinformation

The CRAAP Test is an evaluation method that was designed by librarian Sarah Blakeslee at the Meriam Library California State Universiy, Chico. CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. This provides you with a method and list of questions to evaluate the nature and value of the information that you find.

Resources for Civil Servants

Civil Service Strong, a Project by Democracy Forward

People, organizations, and communities across the country are joining together to ensure our civil servants have resources if they are targeted or attacked. Check back as resources come online and for monitoring of threats to the civil service. And, see some of the essential available resources, centralized for the first time.

Hold the Line, Know Your Rights Flyer

Independently created fact sheet based in part on resources compiled by Civil Service Strong. Additional and updated information at civilservicestrong.org (Updated Jan 30, 2025)

The Justice Connection

Justice Connection is moving as quickly as we can to build a network of DOJ alumni who will provide employees with practical support, including:

Legal services in connection with employees’ current or past official position

Help to employees who’ve been doxed or harassed online

Whistleblowing guidance

Job-search assistance for those who feel like they need to leave the Department, or are forced out

We’ll also stand up for DOJ employees and combat the pernicious “deep state” narrative in Congress, and in the public square. And we’ll be responsive to DOJ employees’ evolving needs in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions

This public resource tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions. If you think we are missing anything, you can email us at lte@justsecurity.org. Special thanks to  Just Security Student Staff Editors, Rick Da and Jeremy Venook, and to Matthew Fouracre.

The Tracker is part of the Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of the Trump Administration’s Executive Actions

The Tracker was first published on Jan. 29, 2025 and is continually updated.

How Do We Live Up to Our Oath?

We swore an oath. Foreign and domestic. That oath feels so hollow right now as it seems we’re stripped of any agency to fight this. I reached out my representative and senators. I’m sharing what I’m seeing with friends and family. None of it feels like it’s anywhere near enough.

Be a good witness.

Things like:

Who directed the action

What you were told

When they directed the action

When you were instructed to perform the action

Where you put things / did things

Preserve original if changing things

There are no “off the record” conversations. Only conversations you make extra notes for. Be a keeper of the facts.

Why? Good people may ask you to do things, and you may have to do them, but understand at some point in the future there will be people trying to fix what was broken or destroyed, and prosecute those that recklessly broke our laws.

When the time comes it will help both efforts. It may also be the only protection available when people look for others to blame.

I'm not a lawyer. You make your own choices, but if you find yourself in shock and uncertain what to do, at least be the best witness you can be in the moment. - u/MuchAppresch

Support Civil Servants as a Civilian

Donate to Unions Pushing Back Against Musk & Trump:

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Reproductive Health Care

Auntie's Medicine Cabinet

Planning Parenthood

Don't Even Get Me Started

When it's time to Plan for C

You've Got Mail - (but don't store it anywhere steamy)

Las Libres - (keep it cool - Article about Las Libres)

Your Auntie misses you. Send her a message, schedule a visit.

Get A CLU - Papa Don't Preach

CDC Reproductive Health Documents

Jessica Valenti of Abortion, Every Day, has been working to download documents that have been deleted on the CDC's website relating to sexual health, intimate partner violence, and reproductive rights. The information has been archived at the link above, and if you'd like to reach out to assist in the continued effort, or provide support, click here. There are currently many people working to preserve data from the CDC, as well as rogue members of the CDC.

CDC Data Hoarding Courtesty of r/datahoarding:

CDC Main, Preserved January 19, 2025

CDC HIV Info, Preserved January 18, 2025

CDC Reproductive Health Info, Preserved December 20, 2024

CDC Adolescent & School Health Info, Preserved January 14, 2025

CDC Injury & Violence Prevention Info, Preserved January 14, 2025

Support for Immigrants

Immigrant Legal Resource Center & National Immigration Law Center

Family Preparedness Plan

Know Your Rights

Printable Red Card in Multiple Languages

ACLU - Know Your Rights

People Over Papers

Anonymous ICE Sightings

Find Strength Through Community

Don't Believe Him - NYT OP-ED, by Ezra Klein

Is Somebody Doing Something?!, by Jay Kuo

Issues to Call Your Lawmakers Regarding

Find Your Senator Find Your Representative

5 Calls

5 Calls makes it easy for you to reach your members of Congress and make your voice heard.

We research issues, write scripts that clearly articulate a progressive position, thus taking the anxiety out of making your calls, figure out the most influential decision-makers, and collect phone numbers for their offices.

All you have to do is call.

OPM Memo - RE: Defending Women

Summary: "...providing the following initial guidance to agencies regarding the President’s Executive Order entitled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (Defending Women)." Interpretation: ✌🏻Truth✌🏻, but not facts. Likely to be weaponized against women, non-binary, trans, and intersex people.

Musk Aides Lock Federal Workers Out of Computer Systems at U.S. Agency

Summary: Article is here. What Musk did is extremely illegal. He and his aides have no business hooking up outside tech to government technology, allowing them access to citizens' dates of birth, Social Security numbers, home addresses, income, government workers' information. This tech allows them to read federal workers' emails and spy in other insidious ways, presumably to ferret out anyone who's not unquestioningly loyal.

David Lebryk Denied Musk Access at U.S. Treasury, Abruptly Departs Position

Summary: "David Lebryk, a career civil servant who oversaw the more than one billion payments that the federal government makes every year, was placed on administrative leave this week after resisting requests from Mr. Musk’s lieutenants... Mr. Musk has been fixated on the Treasury system as a key to cutting federal spending. Representatives from his government efficiency initiative began asking Mr. Lebryk about source code information related to the nation’s payment system during the presidential transition in December... Mr. Lebryk raised the request to Treasury officials at the time, noting that it was the type of proprietary information that should not be shared with people who did not work for the federal government. Members of the departing Biden administration were alarmed by the request.." Elon has not been confirmed for any position within the government, DOGE is not a real department, he has absolutely zero clearance, and has taken no oath of office, unlike the many federal employees currently working to protect our government from threats both foreign and domestic. Tell your lawmakers that he needs to go, STAT.

USAID security officials — John Voorhees and deputy Brian McGill, Placed On Leave After Denying Access to Musk

Summary: "...the administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams... DOGE, eventually did gain access Saturday to the aid agency’s classified information, which includes intelligence reports... It comes a day after DOGE carried out a similar operation at the Treasury Department, gaining access to sensitive information including the Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems... USAID, whose website vanished Saturday without explanation, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration in an escalating crackdown on the federal government and many of its programs." No. Again, Elon has no business in those offices, amongst classified files - he is a threat to national security, and we all know he just wants to drain the national coffers for his own means. Get him out of there.

Senator Chris Van Hollen Wants to Hear From You

Summary: Senator Van Hollen has a direct link to contact his offices about how Trump's Executive Orders are affecting you, if you live in the State of Maryland. Help him fight back against this authoritarian kakistocracy by providing your personal feedback.

The Heritage Foundation's Definition of "Pro-Woman Feminism"

Summary: If you can suffer through this, it praises the feminism of women in 1848, of Antebellum. It's a Christofascist love letter to the subjugation of women, that honestly, I found myself skipping through because it was so disgusting. When you get to the bottom and discover that it was written by a woman, Erika Bachiochi, who describes herself as, "Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Senior Fellow, Abigail Adams Institute, and Author," you might do a spit take. I know I did. Even better, when I perused her "sources" for the article, most of them were pre-1900's, some of them were even 1400-1500's, and a good chunk of them? Her own writings. She used herself as her sources multiple times. Is that good research? Is it? Really? That all of your sources are pre-1900's and the other ones are you, when it comes to defining current feminism? And she had the audacity to besmirch Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first feminist writers. Bitch, please, GTFO.

United States Renewed Membership in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family

Cool! We're back in the Geneva Convention, yay! Hold up - check that wording again. Geneva Consensus. Not the same thing at all. Summary: The Declaration has four main objectives: to secure meaningful health and development gains for women; to protect life at all stages; to defend the family as the fundamental unit of society; and to work together across the UN system to realize these values. Allow me to translate: It's a Global Gag Rule and that's a bad thing.

H.R. - Life at Conception (National Abortion Ban)

Summary: Sniveling piece of shit, Eric Burlison (R-MO), introduced this legislation to ban abortion nationally, after his home state of Missouri voted to legalize abortion. Bitter much? Tell him to suck it, and tell your lawmakers they better not.

H.R. 7 - Life Affirming Medical Care for Women

Summary: Extremely offensive resolution attempting to medically regulate women's bodies - could also have implications for the trans community, amongst others. This wording is especially concerning: "Whereas health care for women should also address the needs of men, families, and communities as they relate to women’s health care;" This resolution can catch itself on fire and go back to hell, where it was originally written.

Call or Email the Smithsonian Directly - LGBTQIA2S+ Activism

Summary: Cuban-born queer artist Felix González-Torres piece called "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), a pile of shiny candies in a museum gallery that beckons the observer to grab and eat one, comes with this description: "This is González-Torres's unconventional portrait of his partner, Ross Laycock, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991. The candies' combined weight, 175 pounds, corresponds to Laycock's ideal weight before he got ill. Visitors are invited to sample the sweets. As the candy disappears, the pile shrinks in mass and weight, reenacting the debilitating effects of Laycock's illness." This article describes the piece: "When I understood the profound meaning of this installation as an AIDS memorial, and realized how, as the museum keeps replenishing the pile, Felix is giving his partner eternal life, I burst into tears, experiencing the transformative power of art. Felix, who died from AIDS complications in 1996, invites the viewer to participate in his works, which combine a minimalistic aesthetic with a very personal and political stance imbued with identities tied to race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic and immigrant status." But when they viewed the exhibit in DC in December 2024, the candy was laid out in a line, without the context of the description as a portrait, erasing the history of the AIDS epidemic and a big part of LBGTQIA2S+ history.

Digital Security Checklist for Activists

Plain language steps for digital security. For protecting yourself and helping keep your whole community safer.

While this has some good advice, some of the browsers / email options mentioned may have issues. I'm still looking into it. It seems that Firefox is the go-to from most tech resources. Will update as I get additional info.

Google to Change Gulf of Mexico

On Google Maps:

1. Search “Gulf of America” 2. If you find one, scroll down, select “Edit” 3. Select “Place is closed or not here” 4. Select “Does not exist here” OR “Offensive, harmful, or misleading” OR “Other” 5. Select “Submit”

To add “Gulf of Mexico”:

1. Drop a pin 📍 in the Gulf of Mexico 2. In the menu that appears, select “add a missing place” 3. Fill in the form starting with place name, “Gulf of Mexico” 4. For category, select “Outdoors and recreation”, then “Historical 5. Landmark” OR “Park” OR “Tourist Attraction” 6. For “Located Within” leave blank or fill in “Earth” OR “Northern and Western Hemisphere”, etc. 7. Add more details if so inclined, pertaining to the Gulf of Mexico. 8. Add some photo-ops. 9. Submit.*

*Feel free to submit as many times as you like, anywhere you like within the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a small protest, but hopefully one that will annoy Google, Drump, and Melon. Especially if a lot of people do this. You can also apply this method to Denali.

Please let me know if you have anything that deserves to be added to this list. Obviously, fascists DNE.

The WINS

This section is dedicated to the good news - to knowing that every little thing we do to push back matters.

Women win court ruling blocking Trump’s order to house trans women in men’s prisons

Trump's transphobic order is now blocked nationwide, thanks to three trans inmates and an LGBTQ+ advocacy org. A district judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order to forcibly de-transition and house transgender female inmates in male jails and prisons, calling Trump’s order a violation of Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The judge’s order is the second recent legal ruling in favor of trans inmates who oppose Trump’s order, and it applies to all trans inmates nationwide, The Hill reported.

House Dem Proposes Bill Named After Musk Ending Federal Contracts for Special Government Employees

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wash.) introduced a bill Wednesday named Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy (ELON MUSK) Act seeking to ban special government employees from obtaining federal contracts.  “Elon Musk gets more than $20 billion in contracts from the US government and bought his way into a new role in the government where he can direct even more money to himself. Enough,” Pocan wrote in a post on the social platform X, which Musk owns.  ”My new bill, the ELON MUSK Act, will end this grift!” Here's hoping, Mark. Here's hoping.

[destana-min]

Have you heard what's currently going on in Turkey?

https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/03/07/turkish-broadcast-watchdog-declares-2025-year-of-combatting-lgbtq-content2/

https://x.com/true0bIue/status/1895196959281184803

Also there were mass protests against the detention of the İstanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

I have, thanks a lot to our corrupt ‘president’.

Yk if u have a political opponent thats getting stronger and people prefer you less cuz u literally destroyed the whole economy so that one 500ml of honey costs almost 600 bucks of ur currency’s, dont debate him or try fix things. Just find year old excuses to denounce his academic titles and arrest him lmao

[girlactionfigure]

🇮🇱AFTER Shabbat - Saturday night - events from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

⚠️Kiryat Shmona and the Upper Galilee: residents are asked to be near protected areas, including in non-evacuated towns. (19:32)

❗️ISIS SUPPORTER - PAKISTANI CANADIAN - PLANNED MASS ATTACK ON CHABAD 770.. arrested when he tried to cross the border into the United States - where he planned to carry out a shooting attack on Chabad HQ and synagogue 770 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY.  He was arrested after he shared with undercover agents his intentions: "to take advantage of Israeli gatherings on Oct. 7 memorials for the Hamas massacre, and to carry out the largest attack against Jews outside of Israel ever - and the largest in the US since Sept. 11”.

Planned mass shooting with automatic weapons in New York because "there is the largest population of Jews in America."

Arrested.

▪️ON THE AMERICAN-TURKISH ACTIVIST SHOT NEAR SHECHEM.. The White House: We contacted Israel demanding information and asked for an investigation into the shooting of the American citizen near Shechem.  

.. IDF spokesperson: During the security forces' activity near Beta today (Friday), the force responded by firing at a central instigator who threw stones at the forces, and posed a threat to our forces.

.. The Turkish-American anarchist who was killed today by IDF gunfire in Kfar Beta in Samaria is an activist of ISM - the "International Solidarity Organization" - a pro-Hamas and Hezbollah "resistance" organization that has been working against Israel for years through provocations, boycotts, defamations and confrontations.  Its operatives even helped transport a terrorist to an attack in Tel Aviv in the past. The founder of the organization, Paul Larudi, even praised the massacre committed by Hamas in Israel.

▪️US AGREES TO WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ.. in Sept. 2025.

▪️ISRAEL MAINSTREAM MEDIA CREATES POLLS.. to prove Israelis support a deal - - by phrasing questions in such a way as to remove negatives.  For example: “do you support a complete withdrawal from Gaza in a deal to free the hostages?”, 52% say yes.  I say yes!  (( Oh did you forget to mention being bombarded with rockets again within a year and increased terror attacks and Israeli deaths?  Yes, yes you did. ))  (i24)

.. “Majority does not accept the PM’s position and thinks a deal is more important than remaining in control of the border - 60%”. (Mako).  (( Does the poll mention releasing 5,000 mass murderers, many who will murder again?  No, no it does not. ))

▪️US SAYS IRAN TRANSFERRED HUNDREDS OF SHORT RANGE MISSILES TO RUSSIA.. Iran says “no we didn’t.” (WSJ)

▪️TERROR ATTEMPT - RAMMING ATTACK - ELI.. gas station.  They rammed a police car!  Terrorist captured, no casualties.

▪️TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN CALLS.. on the Muslim world to unite against Israel: it will want to conquer Turkey as well.

🔸DEAL NEWS.. New York Times: Hamas added additional demands regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase of the deal. (( The more Israeli’s protest demanding a deal, the more Hamas demands. ))

.. The head of the CIA: "We hope that a hostage deal will be signed in the coming days - it's a matter of political will"

.. Assessment in Israel: There is no chance of a deal.

⭕ 16 rounds of ROCKETS and mostly SUICIDE DRONE attacks over Shabbat at northern Israeli towns and cities, including Rosh HaNikra and Safed.

.. 2 drones hit Ayelet HaShachar.  No casualties.

♦️The IDF eliminated senior Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon and Deir al-Balah.

[beardedmrbean]

Turkish police detained 11 people suspected of spreading calls for a one-day shopping boycott as part of an ongoing protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

The detentions followed a call by main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel for a larger boycott of businesses with perceived ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Protests have spread throughout Turkey since Imamoglu's arrest in March on corruption charges, which he denies. Many see him as the only politician in Turkey who can compete with Erdogan in a presidential election.

What is the fuss about a shopping boycott? 

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 16 suspects in an investigation into "hatred and discrimination" and "inciting hatred and hostility" among the public, state news agency Anadolu reported.

One of the lead actors of Netflix's "Rise of Empires: Ottoman" was among those detained, according to the Turkish Actors' Union.

They were held over social media posts calling on people not to spend money on Wednesday and for businesses to shut their doors in solidarity during the daylong boycott.

The Turkish government condemned the boycott of pro-government businesses as an attempt to destabilize the economy.

Why did the opposition call for a boycott? 

Large-scale anti-government protests began last month after Imamoglu's arrest.

Members of his Republican People's Party (CHP) said the charges against him were politically motivated.

Imamoglu was resoundingly reelected as Istanbul mayor for the third time last year. The CHP has designated him as its candidate for the race despite his detention.

On Saturday, CHP leader Ozel called for a boycott of media outlets, brands and stores that it says are pro-Erdogan.

In support, some cafes, restaurants, and bars in the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul remained closed on Wednesday.

The CHP has vowed to maintain demonstrations until Imamoglu is released and cleared to run in what the party hopes will be early elections.

[kropotkindersurprise]

March 21, 2025 - Ya Hep Beraber, Ya Hiçbirimiz! A Communist Turkish sailor expresses his support for the anti-AKP protests in his home country while stuck working on a ship on the open ocean. [link]

[humanrightsupdates]

Türkiye: Use Call to Halt Violence as Catalyst to End Rights Abuses

End Misuse of Terrorism Charges, Arbitrary Detentions

(Istanbul) – The landmark call on February 27, 2025, to end a decades-long armed insurgency against the Turkish state should be a catalyst to end its abusive use of terrorism charges to criminalize and silence government critics including politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists.

Against the backdrop of the call by Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), for the group to lay down arms and disband, thousands of people remain arbitrarily detained or on trial for alleged PKK links on the basis of their legal and nonviolent activities. Among them are politicians Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, jailed for over eight years despite European Court of Human Rights rulings calling for their immediate release.

“The Erdoğan government should seize the moment of this landmark call to correct course and as a first step drop unfounded criminal charges against those accused of PKK links simply for exercising their rights to free speech, association, and other lawful activities,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should review all convictions under the same charges and embark on reforms to end the misuse of criminal law and detention of government critics.”

The widespread misuse of terrorism charges, accusing people of links with the PKK, has been the source of serious and pervasive violations of human rights in Türkiye for many years, as documented in numerous reports by Human Rights Watch. Abuses include criminalization of protest and abusive prosecutions of Kurdish politicians, among them elected mayors, lawyers, journalists, and others. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly found that Turkish authorities have violated the rights of people convicted for PKK links on the basis of protests, speeches, and other nonviolent activities.

[sixstringphonic]

America’s Constitutional Crisis (w/ Katherine Franke) | The Chris Hedges Report

(April 6th, 2025)

The concerted attacks on colleges and universities — Donald Trump’s administration has warned some 60 colleges that they could lose federal money if they fail to make campuses safe for Jewish students and is already pulling $400 million from Columbia University — has nothing to do with fighting anti-Semitism. 

Anti-Semitism is a smoke screen, a cover for a much broader and more insidious agenda. The goal, which includes plans to terminate all programs of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), is to turn the educational system, as in Russia, Poland, India and Turkey, from kindergarten to graduate school, into an indoctrination machine.

(Image alt text and linked video description under cut.)

"The United States is facing a constitutional crisis, one that if it is not resolved, will cement into place an authoritarian state. The Trump administration has unilaterally revoked birthright citizenship, frozen federal spending, signed executive orders to dismantle over a dozen federal agencies, including shutting down and laying off the staff of the United States Agency for International Development and taking steps to do the same to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is in the process of abolishing others, including the Department of Education, has fired or placed on leave thousands of government employees subject to civil service protections and detained and threatened to deport people, including legal residents, based on their political views. Donald Trump’s administration is faithfully following the autocrat’s playbook. Vladimir Putin took a year to take over Russian media and four years to dismantle Russia’s electoral system and judiciary. Poland’s autocracy consolidated power even faster. In less than a year it destroyed its constitutional democracy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to power in 2014, has jailed or purged journalists, academics and politicians who criticize his autocracy and turned the judicial system into an adjunct of his ruling Hindu nationalist party. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has jailed critics and decimated the country’s once vibrant press. He has seized control of Turkey’s major institutions, including its universities, to consolidate his dictatorship. Trump is following in these footsteps. The concerted attacks on colleges and universities — Donald Trump’s administration has warned some 60 colleges that they could lose federal money if they fail to make campuses safe for Jewish students and is already pulling $400 million from Columbia University — has nothing to do with fighting anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is a smoke screen, a cover for a much broader and more insidious agenda. The goal, which includes plans to terminate all programs of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), is to turn the educational system, as in Russia, Poland, India and Turkey, from kindergarten to graduate school, into an indoctrination machine. Those who decry this assault, along with the ongoing genocide in Gaza, are being purged, including Professor Katherine Franke, who lost her position at Columbia University’s law school after 25 years for defending Columbia students’ right to protest in favor of a ceasefire in the Israeli military assault in Gaza and for Columbia University to divest from Israel. She also condemned the spraying of pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus with a toxic chemical that left students hospitalized. The goal is to criminalize all dissent, to shut down any opposition to our fast emerging autocratic state. Joining me to discuss our constitutional crisis is Professor Katherine Franke." - Chris Hedges

[10bmnews]

Turkey's Erdogan calls for Israel's destruction amid rising tensions: Report

Turkish police pepper spray protesters in Istanbul Police officers seen pepper spraying protesters as people gathered in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu near the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2025. (Credit: Reuters) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly called for the destruction of Israel during Eid al-Fitr prayers at the…

[balkikhalnews]

A look at who has been detained or deported in a US crackdown on mostly pro-Palestinian protesters

Hundreds of people gather on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 in Somerville, Mass. to demand the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, who was arrested by federal agents Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Michael Casey) Individuals with connections to American universities, many of whom have supported pro-Palestinian causes, have been detained as part of the Trump administration’s…

[holofirastory]

Hundreds of thousands join Istanbul protest rally

Supporters wave Turkish and CHP party flags during a rally protesting the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Mar. 29, 2025. (AP) ISTANBUL – Waving flags and chanting slogans, many hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied Saturday in Istanbul in defense of democracy after the arrest of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu which sparked Turkiye’s worst street unrest in over…