"Youth to the Arena" is the motto of young Turkish people who are going to start a three-day vigil on Taksim Square in central Istanbul today (8 June). The students who prepared the action were inspired by the incidents on Tahrir Square in Cairo and protests in Spain.

The group got organized via the internet. They demonstrate against unemployment, sordid business in politics and against the policies of the Supreme Education Board (YÖK) and of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). University student Gürkan Köse said that although the protest action was planned by the youth, members of political parties, associations, democratic mass organizations and non-governmental organizations were welcome to join in.

"Three-day protest - first of all..."

In a statement made to bianet, Köse explained that the sit-down protest was initially planned for three days. Yet, according to the number of participants and the concern of the people, the duration of the protest action might be extended, Köse said and continued:

"The action is going to start with a group of 50 to 60 people. I assume that the group will become more crowded as more people will join us later".

"We have been preparing this action for a week. We had banners printed that we then posted all over the city. Additionally, we installed information booths in [the districts of] Bakırköy, Beyoğlu and Kadıköy and received positive reactions. In the light of these positive reactions we think that the number of participants will increase".

"We prepared this protest action as the youth but we will give voice to all sorts of demands from all sections of society that are going to be expressed against unemployment and the AKP policies".

"We will set up a podium where everybody can voice his/her demands", Köse announced. (EKN/VK)