#OccupyGezi protestesters in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey. Photograph via #OccupyGezi
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters occupying Istanbul’s Taksim Square today in a bid to break up a four-day protest against a major construction project in the area.
Hundreds of people had joined the peaceful protest in the iconic square over the last few days to protest against commercial development of the square and to express discontent with the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, as riot police moved to disperse the crowd with tear gas and pepper spray, the scenes turned more violent.
Protesters yelled “You are killing us!” and threw rocks at the police, with many of the injuries from the day from those attempting to escape the noxious gases with a number of people left unconscious and others with broken or fractured bones.
People were protesting against a construction project that was aimed to ease the congestion that is such a familiar site around the square, which is a traditional gathering point for rallies and protests in the historic Turkish city. After pedestrianising the zone around the square last November, the plan was to then build a shopping mall where the Taksim Excursion Park currently sits, just across from the Ataturk monument. The protesters were looking to maintain the character of this historic city and prevent it from becoming commercialised.
Alongside the protests about the development, many of those at Taksim Square were protesting against the government led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His government is viewed as becoming increasingly authoritarian and imposing Islamic values on the population, and last week passed legislation restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol.
The decision to use riot police to disperse the crowd and not discuss their complaints has resulted in a number of protesters calling this the start of a “summer of discontent”.
This video shows the peaceful protesters being dispersed by tear gas:
