We’ve covered the Turkish protests extensively.
To boil it down to basics, its Turks who value the country’s secular political history trying to slow down the steady Islamization of political institutions by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Legal Insurrection readers long have heard of Erdoğan’s dangerous antics and bullying towards Israel.
Overnight there was a massive police crackdown on the protesters, as well as attorneys sympathetic to the protesters.
Erdogan pledges ‘no more tolerance’ for protest amid police crackdown:
Turkey has ‘no more tolerance’ for violent protest, Prime Minister Erdogan told the parliament. He was speaking as police used water cannons and tear gas to take over Taksim Square in Istanbul from anti-government activists.Erdogan lashed out at the protesters as he was addressing MPs on Tuesday. In his speech he separated the peaceful protesters concerned with the development plans at Gezi Park from those in Taksim Square, who he said are responsible for violent clashes with police forces.The prime minister blamed the Taksim protesters of injuring security troops, damaging public property, disturbing public order and damaging Turkey’s image among international investors.Erdogan’s speech came hours after hundreds of police walked into Taksim Square just after dawn and used tear gas and water cannons to fend of protesters attempting to enter it. Police removed protest banners from buildings overlooking the square. The prime minister hailed the move, which he described as tearing down “rags”.
(video added)
https://twitter.com/NancyWonderful/status/344436234229276672
Updates:
(above h/t Twitchy)
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