PodcastPer rector's order, police break up on-campus student housing protest
Students protesting the nationwide student housing crisis in Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) were forcefully evacuated from the campus by riot police late on Oct. 18. The intervention against the students occurred after the rector's office allowed for riot police and an armored vehicle to be called to the campus.
Duvar English
The rector of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) ordered a police intervention against the students' on-campus protest about the nationwide student housing crisis, the daily Evrensel reported on Oct. 19.
Members of the student group İTÜ Solidarity were planning to sleep at a building on the campus to draw attention to the national shortage of public dormitories amid a nationwide hike on rent prices.
Private security intervened against the student demonstration on the night of Oct. 18. After the students had a conversation with the head of private security, they demanded from the university administration that the rector's office release an official statement committed to a solution for the housing problem.
Shortly afterwards, the private security swarmed the classroom hall, while the rector's office allowed for riot police and an armored vehicle to be called to the campus.
A group of around 15 students was battered and forced to leave the building by private security. Afterwards, the students protested the disproportionate force from the police.
Some of the students went to the hospital to get battery reports, and private security barricaded all entries into the building.
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