RantCrush Top 5: May 17, 2017

Yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with President Trump in Washington D.C. But a few hours later, Erdogan supporters clashed with protesters by the Turkish Embassy and it turned violent. One protester, Flint Arthur from Baltimore, said that he wanted to protest Turkey’s policies in Syria and Iraq, as well as Erdogan’s treatment of his own people. He claimed that Erdogan supporters breached police lines and attacked the protesters. Erdogan’s bodyguards also beat up protesters, and video footage shows one of them kicking a man in the face while he is already lying down.

A demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy in northwest Washington led to nine people being injured, and two arrested pic.twitter.com/6SQTlQAUaa

— The Voice of America (@VOANews) May 17, 2017

Nine people had to be taken to the hospital and two were arrested. Some protesters carried the flag of a Kurdish political party in Syria. The main reason for the strained relationship between the U.S. and Turkey right now is the U.S. government’s decision to arm the YPG, the Kurdish militia group that has been working with the U.S. to fight ISIS in Syria. Turkey classifies the group as a terrorist organization. Some expressed shock that Turkish bodyguards beat up Kurdish people on U.S. soil.

Trump seemed happy about his meeting earlier in the day and called Erdogan a strong ally.

Erdogan’s bodyguards beat up Kurdish protesters in D.C. Just imagine what we are going through back in Turkey. https://t.co/4UhOfS27WJ

— Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov) May 17, 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.