Policed bodies and subjectivities

OpenAlex · English

The summer of 2013 witnessed a spontaneous and countrywide uprising in Turkey stemming from a peaceful sit-in to save Gezi Park in Istanbul from demolishment. The uprising was marked with intense police intervention and violence. Among other groups, football fans had a conspicuous presence in Gezi. I argue that football fans’ involvement in Gezi was a function of their embodied subjectivities and resulting agencies based on years of socialization impacted by policing. Their prior experience, bodily know-how and subjectivities shaped in opposition to the police allowed fans to mobilize quickly for Gezi and to spearhead the movement in critical instances.