Ola Geren
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
It was certainly a massive demonstration and you got that sense when you arrived because it took us a very long time to enter the plaza where the rally was being held because there were simply so many people trying to get through the entrances. And worth pointing out, I saw something today I have not seen before at a demonstration.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
It was a long line of what appeared to us to be closed-circuit TV cameras. And these were trained on every entrance. So it seemed to us as if the faces of all of those who were coming through to attend the protest were actually being recorded by the authorities, presumably for use in the future to identify people who've been at the demonstrations. The demands were very consistent.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
The same kind of message we heard earlier during the week on Monday and Tuesday at the large nighttime demonstrations. People were calling for the freeing of the mayor, saying they would keep protesting as long as it would take to get him out of jail. Das könnte einen sehr langen Kampf bedeuten. Die Wahrheit ist, er könnte für mehrere Jahre im Gefängnis sein.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
Die Leute beantragten die Freiheit der Ausprägung. Die Leute beantragten die Schutz der menschlichen Rechte. Ein junger Mann sagte zu uns, ich bin gekommen, um hier zu versuchen, Demokratie zu verteidigen, bevor es zu spät ist.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
Well, there's certainly a great deal of fear and we heard that from demonstrators today. Several people said they were afraid of being arrested. Some told us they had friends who had been picked up in these dawn raids that have been going on over the last 10 days. The official figure from the Interior Ministry now is that 1,900 people. Vielen Dank.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
And the prosecutor is asking for jail terms of between six months and three years. Now press freedom groups and media organizations here are pointing out that among the journalists arrested were people who were simply doing their job. There were photographers who were taking photographs that have been deleted. seen around the world and become famous around the world.
Global News Podcast
Myanmar earthquake deaths surpass 1600
And human rights organizations are saying that the legitimate right to freedom of expression, to gather peacefully to protest against the government's policies, there is a major attempt here now, they say, to stifle those rights and those freedoms. And it didn't begin 10 days ago with the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu. It has certainly been a pattern that we've observed here over many years now.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
We've just arrived at the home of a Turkish journalist, Yasin Akgul. He's a photojournalist with the AFP news agency. He's one of those who was arrested after covering the protests. Hi, Yasin. Very nice to meet you. Thanks for seeing us. Thank you. Thank you. How are you? Good? I'm fine, thank you. Good. His son Umut is here beside me. He's eight years old. He's playing on his computer.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
He's dressed as Harry Potter. And Umut was here at home with his mum and dad and his baby sister when the police came.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
I'm sitting with Yasin at his laptop and he's showing me some of the extraordinary images he captured during the protest. Just looking here at photographs of a whirling dervish in front of a line of police. These images became incredibly famous. They were seen around the world. And these photos landed Yasin in prison for two nights.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
He's accused of being a protester, not a journalist, at the banned demonstrations. He says his arrest is a warning to others.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
When the BBC's Mark Lowen came to Istanbul last week to report on the protests, he was deported. He was accused of being a threat to public order.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
It's not just journalists at risk. Ece Gunar knows that only too well. She's part of the mayor's legal team. One of their lawyers was briefly detained himself. Is there now a feeling among those trying to defend the mayor that anybody could be next, that anybody could be arrested?
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
Those freedoms are under threat, according to opposition supporters at this mass rally in Istanbul last weekend. Berke, who's 26, says time's running out for Turkish democracy.
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
But do you know many people who have already been arrested?
Global News Podcast
As stock markets tumble again, Trump calls for a cut to interest rates
There could be many more arrests to come. While the opposition continues its protests, the government looks certain to continue its crackdown.