Unrest in Taksim on first anniversary of Turkish protests

Turkey has marked the anniversary of the protests Gezi with similar scenes to vivid then: violent clashes between police and protesters and large amounts of tear gas. Yesterday marked the one year into a series of mass demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They triggered by the attempted demolition Gezi Park, in the center of Istanbul, protests against police violence and ” authoritarian” Erdogan spread across the country.

Solidarity platform with Taksimand other groups had called demonstrations yesterday to commemorate the anniversary of the first concentrations. For its part, the government mobilized only in the center of Istanbul, about 25,000 police and 50 vehicles with water cannons to prevent protests.

“Our security forces have clear orders. They will do whatever it takes, from A to Z, ” Erdogan said yesterday. From the beginning of the day, groups of agents were closing the entrances to the park Gezi and Taksim Square, the epicenter of the revolt last year. The clashes started in the afternoon, when groups of demonstrators tried to approach the plaza. Police responded with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. Some people threw stones and fireworks against the officers. There were also clashes in Ankara, the capital, and Adana in the south.

In Istanbul, at least 76 people were arrested and 11 were injured in the clashes, according to figures from the Turkish Human Rights Association. Also yesterday, and in this city, a demonstration against Israel and a high concentration of people who prayed in front of the old cathedral of St. Sophia for conversion into a mosque.

Turkey has experienced 12 months of tension with numerous protests against the government, which also was the subject in December of a corruption scandal splashed several ministers. In recent weeks, the demonstrations have turned against the authorities after mine tragedy in Soma, in the northwest of the country, where 301 workers died.

At least eight people have died in the different demonstrations since last year, although the numbers vary according to sources. Among the latest victims of police actions is Cermik Elif, a woman of 64 who died Friday in December after falling into a coma caused by tear gas.

Thousands of people have been arrested or injured since May last year. More than 5,600 protesters are awaiting trial for their involvement in the protests, while no one has been convicted of police violence.

In recent months, Erdogan and his government have blamed the successive protests alleged ” lobbying interests,” different groups and foreign agents and the media. The country is effectively split between those who oppose and those who support the Executive, whose party won almost half the votes in the local elections in March.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=44753

Posted by Maleeha Tareen on Jun 2 2014. Filed under World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.