Supporters of the anti-coup protests in Egypt will run Sunday's Istanbul Marathon with the purpose of raising awareness for the situation in both Syria and Egypt.
Members of the Istanbul-based International "R4BIA" Platform and several NGOs affiliated with it will run the 35th Istanbul Marathon on November 17 sponsored byVodafone.
The runners, who have decided on sporting t-shirts with "R4BIA" signs during the event, will come together at 10.00 EET in the Altunizade district of Istanbul.
During the procession through the Bosphorus, they will also hold the "Rabaa sign", the four-fingered hand gesture which became a universal sign to express support for anti-coup protestors in Egypt.
Cihangir Isbilir, the coordinator of the platform, told AA "This event will send a powerful message to people with pro-coup mindsets taking no notice of human rights."
Reiterating the Egyptian government`s attempt to ban the Rabaa sign, Isbilir called on the residents of Istanbul to participate in the event.
The International "R4BIA" Platform was formed as an international initiative for the sign of "R4BIA", a symbol of the August 14 massacre by Egyptian security forces against anti-coup demonstrators staging a sit-in protest in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square that killed hundreds of protesters.
Rabaa, which translates as "four" or the "fourth", has become the sign of anti-coup protests in Egypt.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
