The action in and around Taksim Square’s Gezi Park in Istanbul, Turkey continues today.
What started out as a peaceful demonstration over a proposed park demolition earlier in the week has morphed into a broader anti-government protest after Turkish police stepped in. And it’s quite a varying mix in protesters, it seems.
Follow this post for video livestreams and related tweets. We’ll also add breaking news updates to this post if/when available.
All hell breaking loose in Taksim again. Cops let thousands enter Taksim and Gezi Park, then unleashed tear gas. Now demonstrators rioting
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) June 1, 2013
I'm pretty sure I just heard several gunshots.
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) June 1, 2013
Socialists & Communists just occupied Taksim. They're ripping down construction barriers.
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) June 1, 2013
I can't tweet photos any more over cell phone & our local internet died. If cell networks go down, then this will truly be a Turkish Tahrir.
— Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN) June 1, 2013
Four gas cannisters just shot probably a block from me. Tons of protesters running down street.
— Claire Berlinski. (@ClaireBerlinski) June 1, 2013
They are NOT typical leftist/professional protester crowd.
— Claire Berlinski. (@ClaireBerlinski) June 1, 2013
Twitter feeds:
You can follow the #GeziPark and #Taksim hashtags for continuing updates on Twitter.
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Video livestreams:
[Video feeds removed]
A few posts on the situation (updated as news develops):
- Our earlier post has some background on the evolution of the protests: Will Gezi Park Spur a ‘Turkish Spring’? Watch Live Coverage
- This one offers some great insight and descriptions of the scene: A ringside seat as Istanbul protests
- Police crackdown triggers anti-government riots
- Turkish police retreat from Gezi Park as protesters pour in
- Turkish PM Erdogan calls for end to protests as clashes flare
- Angry Protests Grow in Turkey as Police Continue Crackdown
- Protesters defiant as Turkey unrest goes into third day
- CNN Live feed: Tension in Istanbul
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Comments
Ah, Arab Spring is in the air again. I’m sure it will turn out great. Just look at Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, etc. Thank you Mr. President, they all love us now.
What the heck is going on? Who is who? As with Syria, are there any ‘good guys’?
Is this just Islamists doing their usual thing?
Pakistan has a bombing a day. So does Iraq. Afghanistan isn’t far behind.
Islam is as Islam does.
Built into its Koranic edicts is a dichotomous irresolvable conflict between Mohammed’s early Mecca days of relative sanity and rationality, contradicted by his Medina days when he descended into tormented delusions, demented hate and racism. Unfortunately, religions and ideologies produce followers like their founders. That explains the never ending conflict, bloodshed, sexual assaults and aggression of Islamic nations.
For Background on Islam from teacher/mentor of Islamist Murderer of young British soldier:
Imam Omar Bakri Muhammad, who influenced Mujaheed Adebowale, the London beheader, disagrees saying, “Under Islam this can be justified”,
Here are Imam Omar Bakri Muhammad’s thoughts on the human life of non-Muslim civilians?
“We don’t make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians, innocents and non-innocents. Only between Muslims and unbelievers. And the life of an unbeliever has no value. It has no sanctity.”
What is this: IntelTweet – “Users on Hezbollah’s forum are celebrating that the “Wahhabis from the Jewish Jabhat al-Nusra” have been recognized by the UN as terrorists.”
Jewish Wahhabi terrorists? Get real!
So this is Occupy-related?
Got an e-mail from our oldest daughter this morning – she and her boyfriend are on vacation in Istanbul, and the rioting was happening in front of the hotel where they were supposed to be staying.
Fortunately, they were able to find another hotel, but she said it was pretty scary.
Uh, those “bloodbath” photos don’t seem quite right to my eye.
Either the Turkish police are committing mass, and I mean mass slaughter to produce that much “blood”, and the protestors and locals think nothing of standing around in it, or someone is playing games with the truth. Like that the red wet stuff may be the result of rainwater or water from police hoses mixing with something else – gas or smoke grenades, paint, whatever.
By this point in my life I’ve learned not to trust anything coming out of the Islamic world until it’s been well and properly scrutinized, no matter what kind cause it comes from or claims to come from.
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