[LIVE UPDATES]

Thousands Bid Farewell to Berkin Elvan

Thousands are bidding farewell to Berkin Elvan, a 15 year-old child who has been in comatose for 269 days due to a police gas bomb canister and died as of early yesterday morning.

İstanbul

Thousands are bidding farewell to Berkin Elvan, a 15 year-old child who has been in comatose for 269 days due to a police gas bomb canister and died as of early yesterday morning.

Gathered initially in Okmeydanı district to receive Berkin Elvan's body, the huge crowd marched towards Şişli, a district located 15 minutes away downtown Istanbul.

bianet has dispatched two reporters to cover the funeral. Please scrool down to the buttom to see the latest updates.

9am - 12 pm (GMT+2): From the early hours of the morning, thousands of people assembled in Istanbul's Okmeydanı district to attend the funeral ceremony of Berkin Elvan.

Symbol of #BerkinElvan protests: bread MT @diehimbeertonis: A picture from #istanbul this mo(u)rning... pic.twitter.com/Pi99MjsjYQ
— Esin Efe (@esinefe_) March 12, 2014

The huge crowd chanted slogans including "Berkin Elvan, the Child of Hope", "Tayyip, Dend Bilal to Buy Bread" and "Berkin Elvan, a Young Tree of 15".

While Turkey's prominent politicians did not attend the ceremony, main opposition party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu sent funeral garlands. On the other hand, Istanbul mayor candidate Mustafa Sarıgül and Democratic People's Party co-chairs Ertuğrul Kürkçü and Sebahat Tuncel attended the religious ceremony at the cemevi - the sacred space for Alevi people.

12:30 pm (GMT+2): Among notable attendees of the funeral included high school students as well as mothers of Ali İsmail Korkmaz and Ahmet Atakan.

12:31 pm (GMT+2): The religious ceremony started.

Symbolic loaf of bread for the one #BerkinElvan had gone to buy before he was killed by police... on his casket now. pic.twitter.com/hs0K9Ttjr0
— Ozzie (@ozziewashere) March 12, 2014

12:34 pm (GMT+2): Bar Association lawyers holding breads marched towards Güvenpark in Ankara.

Ankara Barosu avukatları olarak Güvenparktayız #BerkinElvan için! Berkin Elvan mücadeleye devam! @OtekilerPostasi pic.twitter.com/h0XWvsEWpJ
— Ceren (@simseekceren) March 12, 2014

The crowd escorted the casket

12:45 pm (GMT+2): Berkin's funeral is out. Thousands started escorting the casket with pictures of Berkin Elvan in their hands.

1:00 pm (GMT+2): The crowd headed towards Şişli direction.

#BerkinElvan's funeral over. Now several thousand marching towards central #Istanbul pic.twitter.com/0ASgsY9HWP #Turkey
— ѕyndιcalιѕт (@syndicalisms) March 12, 2014

2:00 pm (GMT+2): Demonstrators marching towards Çağlayan Square in Şişli.

2:26 pm (GMT+2): bianet released a video of the debit of tweet messages with #BerkinElvan for 26 seconds.

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2:30 pm (GMT+2): Another group assemble in Nişantaşı district to join the main crowd in Şişli.

2:35 pm (GMT+2): The massive crowd of demonstrators blocked the main highway (E-5) towards Şişli direction.

3:00 pm (GMT+2): Another crowd assembled in front of Şişli Mosque.

3:30 pm (GMT+2): Mourners are marching towards Feriköy Cemetary.

Let's hope it stays that way. MT @AChristieMiller: Was just at main #BerkinElvan funeral march in #Şişli. Huge crowds, peaceful, no police.
— Jennifer Hattam (@TheTurkishLife) March 12, 2014

3:57 pm (GMT+2): The crowd is gaining strength in Şişli.

A historic crowd gathers in front of #Istanbul's Şişli Mosque to bid farewell to #BerkinElvan http://t.co/rbGbj1htLM pic.twitter.com/nHY8oI7fTU
— Anon Haber (@AnonTrNews) March 12, 2014

4:25 pm (GMT +2): Demonstrators are chanting the slogan "Thief Tayyip" in Şişli district.

There's no end of that crowd... Loads of people marching for Berkin Elvan. #berkinelvanolumsuzdur pic.twitter.com/aovgqGmwf6
— Çiğdem T. (@cigdemtoparlak) March 12, 2014

4:39 pm (GMT +2): bianet released a photo gallery of anonymous drawings dedicated to the memory of Berkin Elvan. Click on the photo below to view the gallery.

4:47 pm (GMT +2): bianet released an article on Egemen Bağış, Turkey's former EU Minister who sent the following twitter message: "Our nation will repond to those necrophiles who target the resolution process after the end of terrorism and the establishment of mutual brotherhood [with Kurds]."