Riots as police raid Istanbul's Gezi Park
- 11 years ago
The end of the occupation but the beginning of a night of clashes between protesters and police.
Turkey's riot police moved in on Gezi park to shift them.
They took back the ground occupied by anti government protesters for more than two weeks with tear gas and watercannon.
Earlier Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had warned security forces would clear the square.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING:
"My brothers and sisters who are still there, please leave. I ask protesters with good intentions to leave because that park belongs to all residents of Istanbul, it belongs to everybody in Taksim. It does not belong to illegal organizations. I say it clearly. Taksim Square must be evacuated, otherwise this country's security forces know how to evacuate it."
But hours after the area was cleared thousands took to the streets of Istanbul, barricading a main avenue to the park in Taksim Square.
It was not just in Istanbul
Turkey's riot police moved in on Gezi park to shift them.
They took back the ground occupied by anti government protesters for more than two weeks with tear gas and watercannon.
Earlier Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had warned security forces would clear the square.
(SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER, TAYYIP ERDOGAN, SAYING:
"My brothers and sisters who are still there, please leave. I ask protesters with good intentions to leave because that park belongs to all residents of Istanbul, it belongs to everybody in Taksim. It does not belong to illegal organizations. I say it clearly. Taksim Square must be evacuated, otherwise this country's security forces know how to evacuate it."
But hours after the area was cleared thousands took to the streets of Istanbul, barricading a main avenue to the park in Taksim Square.
It was not just in Istanbul