"Just because Trump welcomed autocrat Erdogan to the White House doesn't mean his thug bodyguards can beat protesters like they do at home," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. (Photo: Reuters)
May 17, 2017
Nine people were injured and two arrested Tuesday during a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Witnesses said Erdogan's bodyguards attacked protesters carrying the flag of the lefist Syrian political party Kurdish PYD outside the embassy. Erdogan was inside the building at the time.
"All of the sudden they just ran towards us," Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told WJLA. "Someone was beating me in the head nonstop, and I thought, 'Okay, I'm on the ground already, what is the purpose to beat me?'"
Erdogan was visiting the White House shortly after he secured victory in an April referendum that gave him sweeping authority, including the power to rule by decree and abolish the prime minister's office. Trump called the Turkish strongman the day after the vote to congratulate him, which many found controversial.
"Just because Trump welcomed autocrat Erdogan to the White House doesn't mean his thug bodyguards can beat protesters like they do at home," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, tweeted.
Amnesty International USA's executive director Margaret Huang also said, "While these two leaders sit and congratulate each other in the White House, thousands of people around the world are feeling the effects of their spiraling assaults on human rights."
"President Trump recently praised President Erdogan for winning a referendum in which dissenting opinions were ruthlessly suppressed. Yet President Trump has been silent on Turkey's alarming crackdown on the media. This is a disturbing reflection of President Trump's contempt for human rights," Huang said. "Trampling the freedoms of journalists and protestors is no cause for celebration."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Nine people were injured and two arrested Tuesday during a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Witnesses said Erdogan's bodyguards attacked protesters carrying the flag of the lefist Syrian political party Kurdish PYD outside the embassy. Erdogan was inside the building at the time.
"All of the sudden they just ran towards us," Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told WJLA. "Someone was beating me in the head nonstop, and I thought, 'Okay, I'm on the ground already, what is the purpose to beat me?'"
Erdogan was visiting the White House shortly after he secured victory in an April referendum that gave him sweeping authority, including the power to rule by decree and abolish the prime minister's office. Trump called the Turkish strongman the day after the vote to congratulate him, which many found controversial.
"Just because Trump welcomed autocrat Erdogan to the White House doesn't mean his thug bodyguards can beat protesters like they do at home," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, tweeted.
Amnesty International USA's executive director Margaret Huang also said, "While these two leaders sit and congratulate each other in the White House, thousands of people around the world are feeling the effects of their spiraling assaults on human rights."
"President Trump recently praised President Erdogan for winning a referendum in which dissenting opinions were ruthlessly suppressed. Yet President Trump has been silent on Turkey's alarming crackdown on the media. This is a disturbing reflection of President Trump's contempt for human rights," Huang said. "Trampling the freedoms of journalists and protestors is no cause for celebration."
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Nine people were injured and two arrested Tuesday during a protest outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Witnesses said Erdogan's bodyguards attacked protesters carrying the flag of the lefist Syrian political party Kurdish PYD outside the embassy. Erdogan was inside the building at the time.
"All of the sudden they just ran towards us," Yazidi Kurd demonstrator Lucy Usoyan told WJLA. "Someone was beating me in the head nonstop, and I thought, 'Okay, I'm on the ground already, what is the purpose to beat me?'"
Erdogan was visiting the White House shortly after he secured victory in an April referendum that gave him sweeping authority, including the power to rule by decree and abolish the prime minister's office. Trump called the Turkish strongman the day after the vote to congratulate him, which many found controversial.
"Just because Trump welcomed autocrat Erdogan to the White House doesn't mean his thug bodyguards can beat protesters like they do at home," Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, tweeted.
Amnesty International USA's executive director Margaret Huang also said, "While these two leaders sit and congratulate each other in the White House, thousands of people around the world are feeling the effects of their spiraling assaults on human rights."
"President Trump recently praised President Erdogan for winning a referendum in which dissenting opinions were ruthlessly suppressed. Yet President Trump has been silent on Turkey's alarming crackdown on the media. This is a disturbing reflection of President Trump's contempt for human rights," Huang said. "Trampling the freedoms of journalists and protestors is no cause for celebration."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.