Innovative Social Movements as an Urban Activism

Abstract

Taksim Park İstanbul protests initially started to stop the urban development plan within the frame of pedestrianization of Taksim Square and construction of artillery barracks in Taksim Park. As a part of the project, after heavy construction equipment had entered to Taksim Park on May 27, 2013, this situation started spreading especially via social media in a short time. Thus, this situation turned into a problem for Turkey and became like a resistance movement. Historical transformation process of Taksim Park and the most prominent events of the protests are summarized before analyzing this civil disobedience in terms of the theory of NSMs. In this context, it is questioned whether the NSMs have been affected or not in cancelling the project prepared for the purpose of demolishing and rebuilding the Taksim Park having an important place in the memory of the city. The NSMs are mostly related with politics, human rights, violence against women, or religion. On the other hand, the Taksim Park events are a movement of people protecting their own architectural or urban environment.