Turkish police storm protest camp using teargas and rubber bullets

[alp227]

Last edited Sun Jun 16, 2013, 03:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Observer

Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul overnight on Sunday, erecting barricades and starting bonfires, after riot police used teargas and water cannons to clear the protest camp at the centre of Turkey's anti-government unrest.

In a night of chaotic violence large areas of the city around the now symbolic area of Gezi Park were engulfed in plumes of tear gas, while protesters opposed to the government of Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempted to push back to the city's central Taksim Square.

The continuing protest through the night, and calls for fresh demonstrations at 4pm on Sunday suggested that despite the clearing of the encampment in the park, Turkey's crisis was far from over.

In the immediate aftermath of the police operation trade unionists called for a national strike on Monday.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/15/turkey-police-clear-gezi-park

[stevil]

1. Watch Here:

http://www.dha.com.tr/dhayayin/

[stevil]

2. BTW

At the moment this feed is live in front of the Divan Hotel which is under police siege with protesters inside.

[Ken Burch]

3. Wonder why? Wasn't it enough that they got them out of the park?

We can only hope that this will provoke a wider rebellion around the country and bring down what is now clearly an illegitimate regime.

[christx30]

4. If that happens, it's going to be

another bloodbath like Syria. This president and his party won by very large margins in the last election. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see that bastard out of there. I just don't think it's going to be like Egypt.

[stevil]

5. My understanding

Is that after the park was raided protesters from all over Istanbul started to flood the area and police are trying to contain them any way anywhere. This will get bigger tonight (morning over there).

[Coyotl]

6. AGAIN?? Ceyda Sungur being pepper sprayed by Turkish Police in Gezi Park, four-in-one photo here:

[Coyotl]

7. #occupygezi is where to get up-to-the-minute updates

https://twitter.com/search?q=occupygezi

"We need a helicopter shoot to see millions trying to march to Taksim. "

"People exposed to water canon suspected to suffer from chemical burns."

"People walking from Anatolian side to European side in order to support #Taksim being prevented by police"

Police entered Hilton hotel which gave refuge to protesters.



:large

[secondvariety]

8. Cops.

Same the world over. I really try to respect them for the job they do, but then they do shit like this and I just shake my head.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Turkey unrest: Fresh violence as PM Erdogan holds rally

Fresh unrest has erupted in Ankara and Istanbul, with police firing tear gas and water cannon amid continuing anti-government protests.

The unrest flared as PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters gathered for a huge show of strength in Istanbul.
...
Two major trade union groups have called a one-day nationwide strike for Monday in protest at police violence.

Baki Cinar, a spokesman for one of the groups, Kesk, told Agence France-Presse news agency: "Our demand is for police violence to end immediately."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22925619

I presume that the banner in support of Erdogan - "Let's ruin this big plot" - is not such an ironic pun in Turkish, considering the start of the protests were about the concreting over of an area of land.

[jessie04]

10. Nothing funny about Erdogan.

At best he's a murderer...at worst a war criminal.