When we toured Turkey in 2010, our tour guide left us in a quiet square between a mosque and a market to eat, shop, and meet him back there in two hours. The group I was with arrived back early in time to watch a TV crew arrive, followed by some police, and then this demonstration formed. They yelled and shouted for the TV camera and then dispersed. It left me curious but terrified the Americans in our group. Now, with the benefit of Google Translate, I can tell that they were demonstrating against World Jerusalem Day and the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.
Every year on the 28th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, Israel celebrates Yom Yerushalayim, “Jerusalem Day” to commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. During the 6-day war in 1967, Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan. The United Nations and International Law still consider this “occupied territory” destined to be returned, and I imagine they have held demonstrations like this ever since then. But today, Israel is gradually driving the Palestinians out of East Jerusalem, claiming all of Jerusalem as their capital. While the United States recognises this claim, the United Nations and Australia do not.
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