Police launched a war on Taksim Park activists

On the fourth day of demonstrations to prevent the demolition of Gezi Parkı on Istanbul’s Taksim Square, police attacked using tear gas in the early hours. 20.000 people spent a third night in the Park, protesting against the project of a shopping mall which will destroy the park, one of few remaining green spaces in Taksim area. At 05:00 am in the morning police attacked without any warning.

This morning proved to be the culmination of violence and barbarism that no words can describe, with an unproportional use of force. The exit of the park was blocked, the group was thus locked in the park and was taken under the crossfire of tear gas and pepper bombs, choked to death.  Protesters had to escape to nearby streets to shelter from the tear gas. A wall that protesters attempted to climb over collapsed, leaving a number of people badly injured. People gathered together after 06:00 am but the police using tear gas and pepper bombs dispersed the demonstrators in different districts around Taksim. All parts of Taksim is tear gassed&pepper gas sprayed, the streets are under clouds of gas.