Riot police stormed Istanbul's Taksim Square on Tuesday, using tear gas and water cannons to scatter protesters demonstrating against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's increasing authoritarian style of rule.
"Now that the theater is over, I don't know what will happen now but we are waiting and we are trying to save the park still," said Nuri Kayserilioglu, 24, an economics student sitting at the edge of the square. He says the show of force was a play for the camera but he and his friends intended to occupy Gezi Park until forcefully removed.
The protests were sparked 12 days ago by a peaceful demonstration against plans to redevelop a nearby park.
Television cameras captured images of molotov ****tail-throwing demonstrators confronting armored police vehicles. By mid-afternoon, demonstrators inside Gezi Park tried to distance themselves from the violence, accusing police of using provocateurs to make sensational images of violence.
Read more http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/11/turkey-protests/2410643/
"Now that the theater is over, I don't know what will happen now but we are waiting and we are trying to save the park still," said Nuri Kayserilioglu, 24, an economics student sitting at the edge of the square. He says the show of force was a play for the camera but he and his friends intended to occupy Gezi Park until forcefully removed.
The protests were sparked 12 days ago by a peaceful demonstration against plans to redevelop a nearby park.
Television cameras captured images of molotov ****tail-throwing demonstrators confronting armored police vehicles. By mid-afternoon, demonstrators inside Gezi Park tried to distance themselves from the violence, accusing police of using provocateurs to make sensational images of violence.
Read more http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/11/turkey-protests/2410643/