Metallica Serve as Soundtrack for Student Protests in Istanbul

Iconic Metallica songs such as “Master of Puppets” and “Sad But True” have become the soundtrack for student protests in Istanbul, Bloomberg reports.

The demonstrations are being staged in opposition to the installation of Melih Bulu, a loyalist to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as the new head of Bogazici University. That’s a big deal, because i) Erdogan is a fascist dictator, and ii) admission to Bogazici University is highly competitive and greatly sought after: reportedly 1.8 million people take the school’s entrance exam every year, with only the upper-most 800 ultimately being granted enrollment.

The twist? The song selections have meaning beyond the obvious: Bulu revealed himself to be a Metallica fan during a television interview this past Tuesday, January 5. So this is equivalent protesting Paul Ryan by using Rage Against the Machine music; it both creates and salts a wound.

Bloomberg says that “Police have detained dozens of protesters and raided some demonstrators’ homes since Tuesday.”

You can watch video of the Metallica-scored protests, as well as the aforementioned interview with Bulu, below (via Blabbermouth).