Heritage, memory and social justice: reclaiming space and identity

The date of 27 May 2013 marked one of the largest environmental demonstrations in recent history, as protestors sought to save Istanbul’s Gezi Park from being replaced with a shopping mall and a reconstruction of an Ottoman barracks. The riots and clashes began in Gezi Park and spread to other Turkish cities. Millions of people gathered in the city centres’ squares and main parks, not only to protest at the proposed demolition of Gezi Park but also to reclaim their own spaces. In the following days and weeks Gezi Park and the main squares and parks of other cities were