Isyanbul

Part of me wishes I was in Turkey right now.  With a painting.

This is a clip from a Daily Beast article on graffiti around Gezi Park.

The most retweeted messages are those with jests and puns and wordplay—and graffiti. On a wall in hasty letters: “The rich kids have better gas masks, we are jealous.” Nearby in an alley is writing that says: “Revolutionary Gays Everywhere.” One graffiti complains: “I could not find a slogan yet” while another one says cheerfully, “Welcome to the first traditional gas festival.”

A female student holds up a sign that reads: “As kids we used to chase pesticide trucks. Our generation is immune to toxic gas.” A similar placard says, “You think tear gas will scare the people who go and light a match to check whether a gas oven is working?” On the shutters of a cosmetics store someone has written, “Pepper spray is good for the skin.” Another slogan says, “You banned alcohol, we sobered up.”

The word “Istanbul” is written on the walls as “Isyanbul,” using the word “isyan,” which means “rebellion” in Turkish. One graffiti says: “I asked God Almighty, He said #resistGezi.” On the bucket of a bulldozer that had been previously used to uproot the trees in Gezi Park it says, “ I am Free!” And writing on the pavement reads: “You did not need to use pepper spray to make us weep, we are emotional people.”

"You did not need to use pepper spray to make us weep, we are emotional people."  Now THAT is a line I'd love to have on a painting.

Very sad.