RantCrush Top 5: May 1, 2017

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his crackdown on free speech and dissent over the weekend, firing almost 4,000 public officials. Forty-five civil society groups and health clinics were also closed down and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia was blocked. Ever since the failed coup last summer, Erdogan has made an effort to expand his own power and get rid of those who oppose him. A total of 140,000 people have been removed from both the state and private sectors and 1,500 civil groups have been shut down. Since the referendum in April, thousands of workers have been detained by the police or suspended over suspicion that they are tied to the Islamic group that was founded by Erdogan’s former ally, Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan accused Gulen of being the brain behind the 2016 coup.

Erdogan banning Wikipedia shows just how important it is to free speech. https://t.co/ewaofenLZ5

— Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson) May 1, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.