Protesters Clash With Police During Gezi Park Anniversary March in Turkey

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By Holly Pickett2014-05-31 23:30:45 UTC

Protesters in Istanbul, Turkey attempted to march to Taksim Square to commemorate the first anniversary of the Gezi Park protests and sit-in on Saturday, but were prevented from reaching their destination by police, who blocked access to the square and kept people away with tear gas and water cannons.

One year ago today, Turkish police violently dispersed a small sit-in at Gezi Park in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. It started with a small group that wanted to save the park from destruction (developers had plans for a shopping mall to be built there).

During the May 31, 2013 protests, Turkish police cleared the protesters away with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons, injuring many people, some critically. Demonstrators returned the following day, but this time instead of hundreds, they numbered in the tens of thousands, and the protest movement — against police brutality, government corruption, and a lack of representation — spread to every major Turkish city.

In Istanbul, protesters marched to Taksim and occupied Gezi Park for two weeks, erecting tents and creating a temporary camp of sorts. By the time police cleared the sit-in on June 15, five people had died and thousands had been wounded during violent encounters.

To commemorate the two-week sit-in and memorialize those who died, a gathering in Taksim Square was planned for Saturday, May 31, 2014. However, a massive police deployment ensured that demonstrators would not be able to reach Taksim Square. The Square was open earlier it the day, but was cleared by police by early afternoon, after a small group of young people tried to stage a sit-in on the steps leading to Gezi Park. Neighborhoods to the north of Taksim were barricaded, and the subway was shut down.

Thousands of policemen in riot gear blocked every street leading to the area. Those who managed to get close to the square were doused by tear gas and water cannons.