Amity Journal of Media & Communication Studies Copyright 2015 by ASCO 2015, Vol. 5, No. 1 – 2, 16-26 Amity University Rajasthan (ISSN 2231 – 1033) Digital Activism and Social Movements: How the World perceives the Gezi Movement Dr. Ece Baban Assistant Professor Okan University Email ID: [email protected] Dr. Ebru Güzel Assistant Professor Okan University Email ID: [email protected] Internet activism (also known as online activism, digital campaigning, digital activism, online organizing, electronic advocacy, cyberactivism, e-campaigning, and e-activism) is the use of electronic communication technologies such as social media, especially Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster communication by citizen movements and the delivery of local information to a large audience. From Occupy to Uncut, from the Arab Spring to the Slutwalk movement, few questions about recent activism raise as much controversy as the role of the internet. This study covers two main issues; one of them is the way activists use the new media and the second is how the new media affects the globalization of social activities. The study investigated the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street and the London Revolt as examples of digital activism in the world. The study also offers the Gezi Parkı events as an example from Turkey. It mentions some groups such as Occupy Gezi New York Action Group, Occupy Gezi Deutschland, Occupy Gezi Milano that were formed to use the new media to promote digital activities. These groups that are formed on facebook have investigated the use of the new media according to Morozov's new media strategies. Keywords: Digital Activism, Social Media, Social Movements, Occupy Gezi “To radically shift regime behavior we must think clearly the internet. The influence area of digital activism and boldly for if we have learned anything, it is that has increased due to the globalization and the regimes do not want to be changed. Every time we internet. witness an act that we feel to be unjust and do not act, we The fact that the digital activism became a part of become a party to injustice.“ (Julian Assange, our daily lives began with the emergence of Conspiracy as Governance, December 2, 2006). Wikileaks by the late 2010. The fact that especially activists who were be in search of democracy used DIGITAL ACTIVISM HISTORY social media platforms together with Arab Spring Digital activism history is concurrent with internet process to make their voices heard showed how history. Digital Activism is the fact that individuals, effective was the digital activism experienced at the by benefiting from the rapid propagation present day. After the addition of Occupy Wall characteristics of the network structures and Street! 'actions and London riots, it became possible information technology, intend and execute actions to see occupation movements that become which can grow independently from the center on widespread by globalization on different topics in cases, thoughts or events social and / or political almost every country. issues such as freedom of expression, human rights or the environment that they defend or react, and There are three defining principles of social the main objective of which is to be able to produce movements: The common identity of the movement, high public voice and momentum. Due to the anti-motion and social objective criteria (Castells, growing technological infrastructure along with the Touraine). According to Manuel Castells, these globalization, people have become easier to reach 16 concepts should be understood as follows. Identity media platforms used by people to be organized, corresponds to what the movement is and on behalf was one of the outstanding hashtags (Ntvmsnbc, of whom does it speak; anti corresponds to the main 2011). enemy defined by the movement; social objective People of all age groups participated in the action, corresponds to social order or the form of social and the age group constituting the majority was organization that the collective action of the between 15-35 years. The most important reason that movement wants to ensure in its historical horizon. there were more participants from this age group was the fact that they used the internet more All around the world, riots resulting from different frequently. While those who participated in the social problems of the countries have broken out movement were walking, they also shared the and continue to break out. It is possible to see these movement on social sharing sites by using the riots and various social explosions in Latin America, internet, and they conveyed what they experienced mass demonstrations of European working class, the and felt and the photos they took to the world via youth actions and immigrants' riots, riots of the the internet. The movement of don't touch my Arab peoples, the mass strikes took place in Greece internet gained globosity due to social platforms on and the events took place in England. Riots make the Internet. trouble, wounds, inequality and injustice which are rendered invisible a current issue and lead to public Another movement of don't touch my internet took debate. Examples of digital activism were place on January 18, 2014. On social media organizing on social media platforms and arose on platforms, people were invited to go out on January the streets. Streets are places where the demand for 18 at 18:00 and to be organized in different cities in justice emerges in its purest form. In order to Turkey to say stop internet censorship with the understand the concept of digital activism, Gezi #18Ocak18DeSokaklara hashtag. Aslo, RedHack Park protests seen after the protest of "Don't touch group gave support to the riot via Twitter. my internet" in Turkey with some of the digital activism movements that occurred in the world will The identity of this riot was composed of group of be examined. people of all ages who protested against restrictions and censorship. The movement emerged to protest DIGITAL ACTIVISM AND GEZI MOVEMENT IN TURKEY the prevention of internet users' right to freedom of In Turkey, the most crowded movement among expression and access to information. The social those held by organizing via social sharing networks objective is to ensure that internet usage and open for the first time was the "Do not touch my Internet and unfiltered access are seen as a basic human right movement" which took place in 2011. By the as in international organizations. The movement of decision of BTK (information and communication don't touch my internet is evaluated in the new technologies authority), people who oppose the ban social movements in terms of its aims, values and and censorship on the Internet achieved a wide organization. The movement of don't touch my support and took a joint action on May 15, 2011. internet that we discuss as an example of digital Against the system which would bring a new filter activism in Turkey is involved in type of Internet- to the Internet said to be implemented in August 22, enabled activism from types of digital activism. 2011, hundreds of thousands of Internet users set u p During this movement process, people organized Facebook and Twitter groups, organized on these protests and walkings and held demonstrations. The platforms and protested in the street. Simultaneous people, who used social media platforms in order to demonstrations were held in a total of 28 provinces organize, had the entry into force of the law in Turkey and then in 3 countries (Germany, postponed due to the protests they carried out. In Austria, the Netherlands) with the globalization of brief, the movement of don't touch my internet demonstration abroad. #22agustos, which was used which was initiated for internet censorship as the to draw attention to the filtering that would begin first digital activism movement in Turkey took place on August 22 on Twitter which is one of the social with dozens of participants and was successful. The 17 movement of don't touch my internet is evaluated in event. Social media is a tool which accelerates an the new social movements in terms of its aims, effect very quickly and ensures its concentration and values and organization. Tens of thousands of increase in its power. Also, the fact that the number people organized via internet and performed their of people who use social media in Turkey is great actions on the street. This is also an important leads to great effect. Taksim Gezi Park resistance example of the actual digital activism in Turkey in instantly found its supporters in the virtual world terms of the fact that the online action was dominated by social media platforms. People took to implemented in an offline environment. the streets and formed large masses due to social media. Due to the fact that the mainstream media OCCUPY GEZI did not include this event, activists followed the Gezi Park movement began in Taksim, İstanbul at information flow on computers and even on mobile the end of May in 2013 and then became a global phones, not from the mainstream media such as movement by spreading all around the world. On radio and television. Therefore, mainstream media May 27, 2013, while constructional works were was protested by the activists. In the first phase, performed for the pedestrianization project which images of violence executed by the police to the was approved by Municipal Council on Taksim activists spreaded around the country and world via Square, a portion of Gezi Park's wall was destroyed, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. When analyzed the and in addition, these trees were removed under the numerical data of Gezi Park resistance via Facebook scope of implementing Taksim pedestrianization and Twitter in general, 7,920,511 messages were project.