http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/11/turkey-protests/2410643/
Hundreds of police in riot gear forced through barricades in Istanbul's central Taksim Square early Tuesday, pushing many of the protesters who had occupied the square for more than a week into a nearby park.
Hundreds of police in riot gear forced through barricades in Istanbul's central Taksim Square early Tuesday, pushing many of the protesters who had occupied the square for more than a week into a nearby park.
Police briefly fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets prompting many of the protesters to flee the square into Gezi Park, where scores had been camping.
But there were running battles at one edge of the square between police and some groups of protesters who fired fireworks, firebombs and stones at police water cannon.
Police made frequent announcements through loudspeakers, asking the group to stop attacking police and saying they did not want to use tear gas, before then firing the tear gas.
A water cannon could be seen dousing another police vehicle that was set alight by a firebomb.
The police clampdown on Taksim Square came on the 12th day of nationwide protests that were sparked by a violent police crackdown May 31 on a peaceful sit-in at a park in the square by people who were trying to prevent a redevelopment project that would replace the green space with a replica Ottoman Barracks.
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11 June 2013 Last updated at 10:34
Turkey protests: Riot police storm Taksim Square
Turkish riot police have moved into Istanbul's Taksim Square, which has been occupied by anti-government protesters for close to two weeks.
Officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets, leading many protesters to flee the square into adjoining Gezi Park. Some activists hurled fireworks, fire bombs and stones at police.
The unrest began after a crackdown on a protest over Gezi Park's redevelopment.
The Turkish prime minister said the move was hijacked to cause vandalism.
The original protests have widened, with demonstrators accusing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
Mr Erdogan defended the police intervention on Tuesday.
In a speech in parliament that was frequently interrupted by applause, he asked: "What did the protesters expect? That we would kneel down before them?"
Backed by armoured vehicles and water cannon, officers wearing helmets and carrying shields gathered around the square early on Tuesday before moving past barricades erected by protesters.
They removed protesters' banners which had been hung from a building overlooking the square, replacing them with the national flag and a portrait of the father of the Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk.
Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu said the police had no intention of breaking up the protest in Gezi Park.
"Our aim is to remove the signs and pictures on Ataturk statue and the Ataturk Cultural Centre. We have no other aim," he wrote on Twitter. "Gezi Park and Taksim will not be touched."
A similar message was broadcast by police via loudspeaker, but protesters in the square said they did not believe this.
Continue reading the main story
This was a show of force by the Turkish police
The BBC's Mark Lowen, who is in the square, says this was a deliberate show of force that may jeopardise plans by Mr Erdogan to meet the protest organisers on Wednesday.
Three people have died and more than 5,000 have been injured since the protests began.
Smaller protests have occurred in the capital Ankara too. Police there have used water cannon and tear gas to break up demonstrations almost every night.
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