Green Road Project Resistance Fighter Rabia: Who is the state?

The Green Road Project that will connect eight provinces in the highlands with its 2600km length is protested due to the damage it will cause to the environment in Black Sea Region. During the women-led protests yesterday, while people standing with sticks in front of the bulldozers, Rabia Özcan who chanted as: “There is no state, we are people. Who is the state? The state owes its existence to us “,  gained huge support on social media.

Rabia Özcan, set in front of the bulldozers standing on the way of the planned route with stick in her hand reacted to the governer and the gendarme:

What’s your court?  We are the court, we are the justice. There is no state without people. Who is the state? The state depends on people. Our grandparents walked on these lands. This governor will come here. Each plateau has a way of its own, they shall not be connected by this project. We certainly don’t want. The governor accused us of being marauders. We may be marauders but then who are you? You are sitting in a chair. We grew up here. We live here since we were kids. Go to your own business  and take this machinery with you.

Local residents arriving to Samistal Plateau did not allow the bulldozers to pass despite the commando unit surrounding and threatening them. Machine operators were stopped and  removed from the area due to the reactions of the protesting group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vombpz6IZnA

isyandan.org