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| The Grand Turk |
| Riot police advance on Turkish protesters |
| 2013-06-16 |
| Riot police fired water cannons and tear gas on protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square and neighbouring Gezi Park on Saturday, an intervention that came shortly after the prime minister warned that security forces "know how to clear" the area. Protesters had defied Recep Tayyip Erdogan's earlier warnings to leave, vowing to press on with a sit-in that has galvanised demonstrations around the country and dented Erdogan's international reputation. Saturday's sweep marked the first time in weeks that police had entered the makeshift tent city in Gezi Park, which has been transformed into a national symbol of resistance. White smoke billowed skyward as a phalanx of white-helmeted riot police marched inside the park. They tore down protesters' banners, toppled a communal food stall, and sprayed tear gas over the tents -- urging those inside to pull out. Protesters carried someone away on a stretcher. |
| Posted by:Steve White |