Group knocks down cardboard boxes to pretend they're demolishing Great Wall of China in support of Uighurs

Duvar English/Reuters

A group of Turkish protesters knocked down several cardboard boxes to pretend that they're demolishing the Great Wall of China in support of Uighurs.

The group led by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH) in the southeastern province of Urfa gathered in front of a mosque to protest China's policies toward the Muslim minority on Dec. 20.

"Chinese products must be boycotted until China ends its illegal actions," İHH Urfa representative Behçet Atilla said.

The group then went on to knock several cardboard boxes down to pretend that they're demolishing the Great Wall of China, as they also chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Great).

Also on the same day, thousands of protesters marched in support of China's Uighurs in Istanbul and voiced solidarity with Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil after the furore caused by his criticism of China's policies.

Last week, soccer star Özil, a German Muslim of Turkish origin, posted messages on social media calling minority Uighurs "warriors who resist persecution" and criticized both China's crackdown and the silence of Muslims in response.

Members of Istanbul crowd held up banners reading "Stop the cruelty" and chanted "Murderer China, get out of East Turkestan" and "East Turkestan is not alone," using the name that Uighur exiles use for Xinjiang.

The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions in Xinjiang as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign.

China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs and its foreign ministry said Özil had been deceived by "fake news."

"Mesut Özil's honorable behavior inspired us... Everybody should raise their voice against this tyrant like Mesut did," Adem Adil, a protester marching with the crowd, said.