Videos, Photos: Hundreds of Thousands chanted: Erdogan, resign!
Turkish police have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse a massive demonstration against the demolition of a park in central Istanbul. The rally grew into a wider anti-government protest.
01:20 GMT: Thousands of fans from the three largest soccer teams in Turkey joined the demonstrators in Istanbul, Ayda said.
01:18 GMT: As of 3:00am local time, even the most remote and quiet neighborhoods of Istanbul have joined in the protest, Ayda, a demonstrator, has told RT. People are “banging on pots and pans, yelling, honking their car horns on the streets, and yelling slogans like “Erdogan, istifa!” (Turkish: Erdogan, resign!).”
00:00 GMT: Istanbul resident Tan Tunali told RT Istiklal Caddesi, the street leading to Taksim Square, was almost empty as of 2:00am local time, with the protesters spreading to other streets. “Now a lot of people spontaneously started taking to the streets and probably many of them are trying to get to Taksim.”
Saturday, June 1
23:50 GMT: According to an Istanbul-based activist, who has chosen to go by the alias Pink Pig, the protest is growing bigger. “People are coming from everywhere.” A witness video shows that the demonstration has spread to the Besiktas Sqaure, which is to the west of Taksim Square.
“Today the police used gas bombs and water cannon to get the protesters away from the Gezi park. And then from Taksim square too. They closed all the entries to the Taksim square. They closed the Taksim metro station. Since the morning we smelt gas in the streets of Taksim,” the activist told RT.
Live picture of huge crowd gathered at Galatasaray, near Taksim
22: 40 GMT: Witness says ‘1000s of people in Ankara closed off the protocol road, marching toward the parliament building.’ Earlier reports emerged of the protests and tear-gas having spread from Istanbul’s Gezi to the capital Ankara. Protesters also witnessed at two locations in Izmir, according to social media pictures. Thousands are currently reported to be marching towards the Parliament.
Tear gas canisters littering Taksim
For those who want 2 understand what is happening right now in Istanbul
22:36 GMT: There are reports that police are teargassing people in a subway station.
22: 31 GMT: Witness says ‘military distriburting masks’ as police continue with the teargas, adding that it appears ‘the military haven’t been reined in by the government.’
22:24 GMT: Police said to have used plastic bullets, causing more severe injuries.
22:15 GMT: Six out the twelve protesters injured so far have incurred serious head trauma.
22:00 GMT: 12 protesters injured, 100 receive minor injuries.
20:00 GMT: Police carry out dawn raid against protesters.
Greenpeace joins peaceful Gezi protests in solidarity, and to protect the right to peaceful protest