Follow RT's LIVE UPDATES on the protests Most of the injuries were sustained near Taksim Square in Istanbul, the focal point of the recent protest. Massive demonstrations from last night are currently continuing in the streets, with the metropolis of Istanbul witnessing cases of vandalism. Rallies kicked off on Friday: authorities decided to cut the trees in Geza Park, and people took to the streets to protest. "The latest expression of public anger is unprecedented in character. Unlike previous anti-government rallies and demonstrations, people are protesting wherever they are, including banging pots in their homes regardless of the time," journalist Mahir Zeynalov writes in the Turkish daily Today's Zaman. Erdogan commented on the current events stressing that protestors should go home. "If you bring 100,000, I'll bring out a million," he threatened. The leader also vowed to rebuild the Ottoman barracks. However, he warned police against using excessive force. The protest spread to 50 provinces in the last three days. The capital, Ankara, has been engulfed by the anti-government protests, too, the activists say. And they don’t really understand why the police crackdown is so violent. “People in Geza Park were just sitting there, and police started firing at their tents, which were in the park, so we don’t really understand why they used such force and why they are so angry,” activist Seda Guner indicated to RT. Another Ankara resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, told RT that police have started gathering in the street as more protests are expected on Sunday afternoon. Recalling the Saturday clashes, she described police actions as “horrible,” saying that officers were shooting at people, without caring if they were women, children or the elderly. Cafes and some other public places were used as makeshift hospitals and medical students volunteered to treat the injured. She also said that one person was killed Saturday after being targeted by water cannon. In the meantime, protests spilled into the Turkish-controlled part of Cyprus. As Melis Tutan, a Cyprus-based journalist reports, pointed out to RT, Turkish students started gathering on Saturday to protest the events in Istanbul and express their concern over the policies of the Erdogan government and what they describe as police terror. Thousands of people took to the streets of Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagusta and Morphou, Tutan told RT. “Many civil organizations and students walked together towards the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia. At the beginning police tried to stop them, but then they were allowed to chant slogans.” Solidarity protests were also staged or planned across Europe and the US, with people in cities including Boston, London, Berlin, Athens, Nicosia and Helsinki rallying against the violence in Turkey. For instance, in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, hundreds of Occupy movement supporters gathered for a solidarity demonstration, and marched to the Turkish Consulate. Turks also staged in front of the EU Parliament in Brussels to protest the violence in Turkey, chanting anti-government slogans and holding banners. “This is not about a park. It’s about the abuse of state power. It’s about media being censored. This is about democracy,” one of the banners held by demonstrators, read. … Read More
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