Letter from Istanbul

As soon as the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was announced on March 19, signs and slogans erupted throughout the demonstrations. A wave of poetic and satirical drawings has flooded Turkish streets, vigorously challenging the current regime with raw art and spontaneous messages. On university campuses, in high schools and in city centers, the same wind of anger has been blowing for a month. They're calling for the release of the mayor, the main opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (who has been in power for 22 years), intermingled with democratic and popular demands.

Written in marker or pencil on pieces of cardboard or fabric, the phrases soared through the air. The words buzzed. They rumbled. They collided with humor and subversion. It was a metaphysical protest ("From chaos is born the star"). Philosophical critique ("We will wisely rebuild what ignorance has destroyed"). Ontological revolt ("The world is ours" – written in French).

Here, a teacher held her sign high: "Sorry kids, no class today, your teacher is resisting for your future." There, a more bitter student denounced the abuses of a regime that risks ending the rule of law in Turkey: "Sometimes, the things that destroy us repeat themselves." Another, beneath a thick mustache: "Erdogan, you have consumed our lives."

You have 74.03% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.