Çarşı in the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. New forms of public agency in a square movement
Résumé
This chapter aims to discuss the public agency of Çarşı (the fan group of the Istanbul football club Beşiktaş) and its role in the Gezi movement by examining Çarşı’s interactions with other actors of the movement. In addition to their vehement support for their football team, Çarşı is also known for promoting and developing welfare projects, and the group was a central figure in Gezi. Although the group clearly displays leftist tendencies, they do not adhere to a particular political agenda. In Gezi, they found themselves in the middle of the protests, clashing with the police. Çarşı became “muscle” in the movement by engaging in physical conflict and guiding less experienced protesters as well as first timers. My main argument is that Gezi, as a public square movement, created a stage for interaction and performativity where actors came together and co-constructed not only a collective defence but also a different way of living and relating to each other in the occupied public place of Gezi. By examining how a soccer fan group interacts with the actors of Gezi protests, this paper focus on the new forms of public agency that emerged out of the Gezi movement.
Domaines
SociologieOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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