They had broken through the first barricade: In the ninth month of 19 March university students marched to Beyazıt

Nine months have passed since 19 March, when operations were launched targeting İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP’s presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu and his colleagues.

At İstanbul University, one of the places where the process began, university students once again took to the streets.

Students frequently chanted: "There is no liberation alone, either all of us or none of us, shoulder to shoulder against fascism."

MARCH TO THE MAIN GATE

Gathering in front of the İstanbul University Esnaf Yemekhanesi, the students marched to the Beyazıt Main Gate. Drawing attention to the 19 March process, they stressed that the struggle continues.

The arrest of four university students taken into custody in İzmir on Monday on the grounds that they took part in the 19 March protests also drew a reaction at the scene.

The students demanded the release of their classmates who had exercised their constitutional rights.

As students began to gather before the action, it was observed that the police had taken extensive security measures in Beyazıt and the surrounding area.

"OUR STRUGGLE IS BIGGER THAN YOU"

In their statements, students said: "Thousands of investigations have been opened. Hundreds of our friends have been arrested. But we have not given up our struggle. We will not give up our struggle until we bring back our friends held in İzmir.

Our friends who were arrested are those who resisted in the streets. We will bring our friends back. We will build a democratic university. Our organised struggle is bigger than you.

Young people do not accept the darkness imposed on them.

From Beyazıt, where we broke through the barricades, we say once again: we are not giving up our struggle."

THE FAMILIES’ MESSAGE WAS READ OUT

In the statement, the families’ message of the arrested students was read out. The message read by a student was as follows: "We know this was done to suppress these young people’s rebellion against injustice and to build walls of fear. But that wall had been torn down by young people nine months ago. Young people took to the streets not only against İmamoğlu’s arrest but against all trustees and all injustices."

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İlk barikatı onlar yıkmıştı: 19 Mart'ın 9'uncu ayında üniversite öğrencileri Beyazıt'a yürüdü, published in BirGün newspaper on December 19, 2025.