Turkish police launched overnight attacks on Gezi Park demonstrations across the country. Tension was especially high in Adana and Ankara.
Ankara crowds, once again, suffered a harsh police barrage, with officers using TOMA water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters that had gathered at the city’s Kizilay Square. Demonstrators had to flee to side streets as police forces attempted to empty the square.
Tents in Ankara’s Kugulu Park, erected in solidarity with ongoing action at Taksim’s Gezi Park, were dismantled by police early this morning. Despite initial opposition, subsequent reports said the officers had succeeded in taking down the tents in the park. Protesters in Adana also faced police attacks when they attempted to march toward Akkapi district in order to join another demonstrating group that had been subjected to violent attacks by a group of Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporters the night before.
Police denied permission for the group to march and called on the protesters to disperse. When the group refused, police intervened with TOMAs and tear gas, pursuing protesters down to the end of Cakmak Street to completely disband the crowd.
Protests in Edirne and Izmir also gathered in their thousands in support of the Gezi Park demonstrations, with over 2,000 protesters marching in Edirne and 10,000 in Izmir. There was brief tension in Izmir stemming from opposing groups, but the problem was quickly resolved.
