Habibe Eren 

 

ISTANBUL - In Taksim Tunnel, where thousands filled the areas with a single demand, women demolished all the barricades in front of them and showed that the laws are written in the street once again. One night witnessed what women's resistance could do for the convention that was canceled at one midnight.

 

The government, which has been on the agenda to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention for a long time, announced that the convention was terminated by the Presidential decree on March 20 at midnight with the allegations of "destroying the family structure" and "encouraging homosexuality". With the anger that emerged with the decision taken in the middle of the night, the women immediately went to organize and promote their most legitimate right on the street. Everywhere, women organized the July 1, when the convention will be abolished completely, with the color of rebellion.

 

Against the abolishment of the Istanbul Convention, tens of thousands of women gathered in Taksim Tunnel and marched to İstiklal Street, under the leading of the Implement the Istanbul Convention Campaign Group, with the motto "We are stopping life" yesterday. Preparing for this action for three months, the women did not leave the streets and squares empty for a moment before that. Women, who did not recognize the decision taken by the "single-person regime" and gave the message "We did not say it's over", once again showed their power to the government and misogynistics.

 

The police, who never took any measures to prevent women from being killed, wanted to block all roads leading to Taksim and Istiklal Street with an iron barrier before the action, to prevent women from reaching each other and the march. However, this attempt was not successful, and the reality of the police running away from the field in the face of the power of women was seen with all its clarity.

 

‘You will never walk alone’

 

The women who declared July 1 as the day of the rebellion showed how massive the protest would be in the following hours when they started to gather in Tunnel. Women filling the streets in Tunnel with the slogans; “We do not give up on the Istanbul Convention”, “We are in revolt for our lives”, “You will never walk alone”, “This is just the beginning, keep fighting”, “Jin jiyan azadî”, “Deniz Poyraz is immortal” and gave a clear message with the placards such as ‘’You chose these light streets, Tayyip’’, ‘’Laws are written in the street’’ and ‘’For our freedom, we will destroy your palace on your head’’.

 

Images of resistance like the Gezi protests

 

Embracing the anger of the killed women, the women resisted and demolished the first barricade set up in front of them with the slogans "Barricades to killers, not women" and "Police get out". The women walking towards the second barricade with enthusiasm and anger created images of resistance that resembled the Gezi protests. The women, who overthrew the barricade despite the police behind them and did not leave the area despite the tear gas and rubber bullets, confiscated the helmets and shields of the police. Even the women kept rhythm for a while with the shield they confiscated. At that moment, when the slogans were mixed with the sound of applause, the fear of the police and their helplessness in the face of the resistance could be seen in their eyes.

 

Later, a barricade was set up in front of the women walking to Karaköy, and the women overcame this barricade. The women repeated their slogan "Barricades to killers, not women" once again, and the police had to retreat from here as well.

 

At the end of the night, the busiest street of the city witnessed an action in which the barricades were destroyed by the women and the women did not retreat despite all the attacks. The women who demanded the account of the women who were murdered, disappeared, exposed to violence and rape, and who were not protected despite the protection orders, showed once again that the laws will be written in the street. While the Convention takes its place in history as the red line of women, the government must consider women's resistance in every step of its way from now on…