ISTANBUL The Turkish police evacuated Saturday by force the last four demonstrators who occupied the Gezi Istanbul Park, the stronghold of the anti-government revolt that shakes Turkey for two weeks after a new ultimatum from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Shortly before 21:00 local time (18:00 GMT), the police intervened with water cannons to disperse hundreds of people who had gathered in Taksim Square then entered the park, they have drained all its occupants by thousands of tear gas grenades. Several people were arrested.
many tents in which occupants were preparing to spend another night were destroyed and torn banners, noted AFP journalists.
“They came in force, with a lot of gas. They hit us, even women,” he told AFP one of the protesters, Ader Tefiq.
“They took our glasses and our masks,” reported his side Elbi Mey, a yoga teacher of 39 years who was in the park when the police invested. “We are angry but it is not over,” she added, “the whole world has seen that when we are together, we can stand up to Tayyip”.
soon known evacuate the park, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Istanbul and the capital Ankara, shouting “Government resign!” or “it’s all over Taksim is all resistance.”
Istanbul, police delayed several places the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.
Deputy Prime Minister Huseyin Celik he welcomed the removal of the park. “I hope we can forget about it, like a bad dream or a nightmare,” he said.
Two hours earlier, the head of government had issued a new warning to protesters during a speech to tens of thousands of supporters gathered in a distant suburb of Ankara.
“We have a public meeting tomorrow in Istanbul I clearly say. Taksim if not removed, the security forces of this country know how to evacuate,” said Mr Erdogan on your farm that it likes from the beginning of the crisis.
Saturday morning, the coordination of the protesters, the collective solidarity Taksim, announced his refusal to leave Gezi Park, despite the conciliatory gestures of power.
“We will continue our resistance against injustice in our country (…) This is just the beginning, our struggle will continue”, she said, “today we are much stronger organized and optimistic than are eighteen days. “
During a meeting with a delegation of civil society, including two spokesmen for the Coordination of protesters, Erdogan promised he would not touch the park as justice, seized by opponents the destruction of the park, would not finally settled the issue.
But the irreducible
Gezi Park refused categorically that power presented as concessions.
“We remain in the camp because our demands have not been met by the government,” he told AFP Ata, future doctor in mathematics.
“He wants to show his power to intimidate us, threaten us,” she added, “but that is precisely why we are here, this is the problem,” she added.
On May 31, the police intervened to disperse violent environmental activists protesting against the destruction of the announced Gezi Park and its 600 plane in the context of a contested development project from Taksim Square.
anger caused by this operation has sparked wider revolt against the Turkish Islamic-conservative government since coming to power in 2002. In many cities, tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Mr. Erdogan, accused of authoritarian drift and want to Islamize Turkish society.
support of a majority of the population, the head of government, including the Party of Justice and Development (AKP) won 50% of the vote in parliamentary elections in 2011, has taken a strong stance on protesters qualified long speech “looters” or “extremists.
Saturday even before his supporters, he introduced himself as the “voice of the silent masses” and praised his supporters who give “the true image of Turkey.”
Prime Minister must take Sunday afternoon a new public meeting with tens of thousands of demonstrators in Istanbul.
police brutality and intransigence Erdogan against the protesters garnered much criticism and tarnished its image abroad, especially from the United States and countries of the European Union.
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