Police in Turkey on Friday fired tear gas and shot water cannons at demonstrators who took over a park in Istanbul to decry the construction of a shopping mall.
Dozens were injured during the clashes, according to Reuters.
The demonstrators began assembling at Gezi Park on Monday in opposition to the mall developers who were tearing down trees. But the protest broadened to include Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party, Reuters reported.
Police stormed the park at dawn Friday to disperse the crowd, ultimately arresting several. An Istanbul doctor said at least 100 had sustained minor injuries after a wall they were trying to climb to flee police collapsed, Reuters reported.
Amnesty International issued a statement of concern about “the use of excessive force” by police to quell the protest.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.