Turkish police fired tear gas at demonstrators before retreating from Taksim Square in Istanbul.
– ?Turkish police and protesters battle for Taksim square (Telegraph, June 1, 2013):
Some protesters hurled objects at officers and police vehicles, prompting police to fire several rounds of tear gas.
In Ankara, a police vehicle hit two demonstrators who were crouched in the middle of the street, barricading themselves behind rubbish bins.
One of the men who was hit was seen being rescued by other demonstrators and loaded into an ambulance while flashing a “V” for victory sign.
The other man was thrown in the air but appeared to not have been seriously injured.
A demonstration that started in Istanbul on Friday as a peaceful sit-in to save an inner-city green space has turned into nationwide anti-government protests in Turkey, revealing the depth of public anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Many Turks view him as increasingly authoritarian and dismissive of opposing views.
Protesters who had camped out at Taksim were angry over the planned removal of trees in the square, one of the few bits of green in sprawling Istanbul.
Officials are planning to build a shopping mall and rebuild a former Ottoman army barracks.The protests are also seen as a demonstration of the anger building toward Turkish police, who have been accused of using inordinate force to quash demonstrations and of using tear gas excessively.
They have spread to other Turkish cities and into a second day, despite a court decision on Friday to temporarily halt the demolition of the park in Taksim.
Thousands marched through streets in several cities on Friday, calling on Mr Erdogan to resign.
Source: APTN