On 28 May 2013 thousands of people gathered at Gezi Park of Istanbul, the largest green area in the city to protest against the decision of the local administration to demolish the park and build a shopping center . As the day passed, the protest movement has turned into something wider becoming a protest against the center-right government of Prime Minister Erdogan , accused of being increasingly authoritarian and endanger the secular state with laws that tend to the Islamization of the country. Since then, the protest movement has grown rapidly, bringing together environmental groups, gays and lesbians, socialists, trade unions and members of the opposition, leading to the occupation of Taksim Square and Gezi Park in Istanbul. At the same time the demonstrations have spread to many other cities in Turkey turning into violent clashes with police. At dawn on 11 June, the Istanbul Police has been ordered by the Erdogan government to vacate Taksim Square, throughout the day there were violent clashes with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse groups of protesters, who have responded by throwing stones , molotov cocktails and other items.
Since the beginning of the protests the balance is thousands people injured and 5 casualities, the last of which , a young 19 year old man, passed away Wednesday, July 10 after a month of hospitalization.
June 06 2013 – Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan supporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport welcoming their leader from his arrival from Tunis
June 06 2013 – Thousands of Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan supporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport welcoming their leader from his arrival from Tunis
June 06 2013 – Prime minister Tayyip Erdogan supporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport welcoming their leader from his arrival from Tunis
June 06 2013 – One of the several barricades built around Taksim square to prevent police entrance in the square
June 11 2013 – Clashes between police and protesters in Taksim Square, Istanbul.
June 09 2013 – Demonstrators sitting on one of the destroyed buses during the clashes and turned into a barricade, to prevent the police entrance in Taksim Square, Istanbul
June 09 2013 – Anti government protesters in Gazi, a Kurdish district of Istanbul. Turkish riot police use plastic bullets, CS gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators. Protests have escalated across the country against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, his AKP government’s conservative policies and state repression
June 09 2013 – Anti government protesters in Gazi, a Kurdish district of Istanbul. Turkish riot police use plastic bullets, CS gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators. Protests have escalated across the country against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, his AKP government’s conservative policies and state repression
June 04 2013 – Police arresting a protester during clashes in Besiktas district in Istanbul. What started as a protest to save the park turned into a nationwide wave of protest against the government.
June 04 2013 – People carrying an injured man during clashes between police and protesters in the surrounding are of Taksim Square, Istanbul.
June 11 2013 – Clashes between police and protesters in Taksim Square, Istanbul. At dawn on 11 June, the Istanbul Police has been ordered by the Erdogan government to vacate Taksim Square, throughout the day there were violent clashes with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse groups of protesters, who have responded by throwing stones , molotov cocktails and other items.
June 09 2013 – Rivers of people reach Gezi Park in Istanbul’s Taksim square, passing through the construction site area where the shopping mall subject of the protest will be built.
June 11 2013 – A protester running away during clashes in Taksim square. At dawn on 11 June, the Istanbul Police has been ordered by the Erdogan government to vacate Taksim Square, throughout the day there were violent clashes with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse groups of protesters, who have responded by throwing stones , molotov cocktails and other items.
June 11 2013 – Istanbul riot police shooting tear gas against protesters in Taksim Square, Istanbul.
June 11 2013 – Turkish riot police fired water cannon and teargas at hundreds of protesters entering Taksim square for removing the barricades and cleaning up flags and banners. Demonstrators fought back with stones and fireworks
June 11 2013 – A demonstrator lies down in front of a police van in Taksim square, Istanbul.
June 11 2013 – Demonstrators running away from tear gas during clashes with turkish riot police in Taksim square.
June 11 2013 – a girl protect herself behind a metal structure during clashes in taksim square
June 11 2013 – Turkish riot police trying to advance from the side alleys to take back Taksim square
June 11 2013 – Demonstrators trying to prevent police to approach inside Gezi Park
June 11 2013 – People carrying an injured man during clashes between police and protesters in Taksim Square
June 11 2013 – A girl recovering from tear gas inside Taksim Hill Hotel in Taksim Square, during clashes.
June 11 2013 – People recovering from tear gas inside Taksim Hill Hotel in Taksim Square, during clashes.
June 05 2013 – People sleeping in Gezi Park, Taksim square, Istanbul