Dink remembered at spot of assassination

Candles were lit in front of the multilingual weekly Agos, where Dink was the editor in chief. Banners reading "For Hrant. For Justice," were also on the ground marking the place of his death. Thousands of people with one voice were chanting, "Just to spite fascism, you are my brother Hrant," as they gathered to commemorate Dink on the second anniversary of his murder.

Groups calling themselves anarcho-communists, other small leftist groups, some members of the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, or just ordinary people without any links to political groups were there to commemorate Dink, along with many journalists.

"I am still so sad. My heart is burning," said 52-year-old Jale, who declined to give her surname. Jale is a retired mechanics artist, who said she has no connection with any political group. "I live in Şişli. I just came here as soon as I heard on TV that Dink was murdered," she said. Jale was wearing a poşu, a type of scarf that symbolizes the Palestinians, and held in her hands small photographs of Dink and a handful of needles to attach the photographs. Members of the crowd carried banners in Kurdish, Armenian and Turkish.

A famous song called "Yiğidim Aslanım Burda Yatıyor" (My Brave Man Is Lying Here) that used to be a symbol for murdered journalist Uğur Mumcu was also played. Police took safety measures around the area, while traffic stopped during the commemoration ceremony. Dink’s family was also at the site. Famous actor, Halil Ergün, addressed the mass as a representative of Dink’s friends and said he apologizes from Dink and the Armenian community for what happened to Dink. "The fire burns the place it falls," said Sona Aşçı, 84, who said that Dink was her mother’s cousin.

The crowd gathered for Dink was somehow a relief for Aşçı, who said she was not hopeful that the murder would be solved in the ongoing Dink case. Meanwhile near Harbiye Officer’s Club, a group had a conflict with the police after the crowd in front of the Agos building dispersed. Some members of the group wanted to march to Taksim and throw stones at the police. A police officer fired a gun into the air to stop the group. Police also used tear gas and water. Group members fled to nearby streets, while the conflict went on in Taksim Square.