Thousands take to streets for third day of Turkey protests
- 11 years ago
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Turkey's four biggest cities on Sunday (June 2) and clashed with riot police firing tear gas in the third day of the fiercest anti-government protests in years.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan blamed the main secular opposition party for inciting the crowds, whom he called "a few looters", and said the protests were aimed at depriving his ruling AK Party of votes as elections begin next year.
There were clashes between police and protesters near Erdogan's office in a former Ottoman palace in Istanbul. Several groups of protesters wearing balaclavas gathered to hurl rocks towards the office as bystanders rushed to flee in taxis.
But in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the atmosphere was more festive with some chanting for Erdogan to resign and others singing and dancing. There was little obvious police presence.
Protests on Sunday were not as violent as the past two days but police
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Turkey's four biggest cities on Sunday (June 2) and clashed with riot police firing tear gas in the third day of the fiercest anti-government protests in years.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan blamed the main secular opposition party for inciting the crowds, whom he called "a few looters", and said the protests were aimed at depriving his ruling AK Party of votes as elections begin next year.
There were clashes between police and protesters near Erdogan's office in a former Ottoman palace in Istanbul. Several groups of protesters wearing balaclavas gathered to hurl rocks towards the office as bystanders rushed to flee in taxis.
But in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the atmosphere was more festive with some chanting for Erdogan to resign and others singing and dancing. There was little obvious police presence.
Protests on Sunday were not as violent as the past two days but police