Turkey protests escalate, activists call for ‘revolution’

Groups of protesters remained as night fell over Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Sunday June 2.

The square is the epicentre of anti-government protests that have swept Turkey since Friday May 31.

They were sparked by a police crackdown on a peaceful sit-in to prevent Taksim’s Gezi Park being redeveloped as part of plans to revamp Taksim.

The mass demonstrations have drawn in people from across the political spectrum, some calling for the overthrow of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

One protester said: “This isn’t Taksim Square anymore. This is Tahrir Square, Red Square, it’s the square of revolution! We’ll be here until Erdogan leaves the country!”

Protesters threw rocks as they marched to the prime minister’s office.

Erdogan blamed the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), for provoking the protests.

The CHP denied orchestrating the unrest, saying Erdogan’s policies were to blame.
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Source: Euronews