Today’s New York Times features a full-page ad from an organization affiliated with the Occupy Gezi protests commemorating the life of Berkin Elvan, a 15-year-old boy who was killed by a police teargas canister during a demonstration. The group, called Gezi Democracy Movement, funded the ad on Indiegogo.
“Fifteen-year-old Berkin Elvan died after 269 days in a coma following an injury inflicted by a teargas canister shot directly to his head,” reads the ad. “The Turkish police, Erdogan‘s ‘heroes,’ shot him on his way to buy bread.”
“Those responsible do not have a conscience. Use yours,” it continues.
In June of last year, the group funded a similar ad in the Times, urging readers to stand in solidarity with the protesters.
“Democracy in Turkey, anywhere for that matter, can only be achieved when silent masses act. Indiegogo provides us the crowd tools to reach those who can ‘act’ towards a goal,” Oltac Unsal, one of the campaign’s organizers, said in a statement. “Today we are raising money to commemorate the death of a boy at the hands of the police.”
The Indiegogo campaign has 18 hours to go, and has already raised money beyond the cost of the ad. According to the organizers, “Contributions above the NYT expenses will be directly donated to Güç Birliği [a group advocating for Democracy in Turkey] by the sponsors unless we can give the money to Berkin’s family or donate it to a foundation of their choosing.”
See the full ad below.
