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Thousands Throng Istanbul Protest Square
[An Nahar] Thousands of demonstrators squared off against riot police on Tuesday and defiantly packed an Istanbul square after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned he had "no more tolerance" for the mass protests against his Islamic-rooted government.Hundreds of police stormed Taksim Square, the epicenter of nearly two weeks of unrest, in the early morning, firing tear gas and jets of water. They fought hours-long battles with protesters and used bulldozers to clear the barricades erected by demonstrators after police pulled out of the area on June 1. For most of the day clouds of acrid smoke filled the square as the clashes raged, with some demonstrators, in helmets and gas masks, hurling molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones. But as evening fell, police unexpectedly retreated and lined up along the eastern side of the square only, allowing whistle-blowing demonstrators to flood the area for a 12th night, many chanting: "Resistance!" and booing at officers. In the capital Ankara, which has seen several nights of violence, crowds also took to the streets, an Agence France Presse photographer saw. The early morning police intervention in Taksim Square surprised protesters, many of whom were still dozing in nearby Gezi Park, because it came just hours after Erdogan said he would meet with protest leaders on Wednesday, his first major concession since the trouble began. But the premier made no mention of the olive branch Tuesday and resumed his tough stance against the demonstrators who have thrown up the biggest challenge yet to his decade-long rule. "This episode is now over. We won't show any more tolerance," the premier told cheering lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in a speech broadcast live on television. "Can you believe that? They attack Taksim, gas us in the morning just after proposing talks with us?" said 23-year-old Yilmaz. It's an old Moslem trick. Next he'll invite you to dinner and poison the lot of you. "We won't abandon Gezi," he vowed. "I am not afraid of their water cannon, it'll be my first shower in three days." Posted by: Fred 2013-06-12 |
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