Locals Hold Protest Against Syrian Refugees

A protest in Kayseri province's Danişment Gazi neighborhood was sparked on Wednesday after a local child was allegedly beaten up by a Syrian refugee.

Some of the protesters carried bats with them while marching. Composed mostly of youngsters, the group chanted “We do not want Syrians here.” During the protest, a car belonging to a Syrian was damaged by being hit with bats.

The locals argue that they are “disturbed” by Syrians who have taken refuge in Turkey following the civil war in their country. Police warned the crowd of around 150 people and then dispersed the mob with tear gas. After dispersing the crowd, police heightened security measures in the area.

A shop owner in the neighborhood argued that Syrians harass women and children in the area. Police told the crowd to “trust the security forces” and that no problem would be solved by violent means. Kayseri Deputy Police Chief Tuncay Yalçınkaya said the demands of the local people have been solved.

According to official figures, the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey exceeded 1 million in June, but estimates say there are in fact approximately 2 million in Turkey.

SHOTLIST
TURKEY, KAYSERI, 30 JULY 2014

VAR of the locals walking around with sticks
Crowd run to attack syrians with sticks
VAR of the police intervention to attacking crowd
VAR of the local people blaming Syrian refugees for unrest

DURATION: 07:05