Turkey Enters 2nd Day of Anti-Govt Protests

Turkish police use water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to the planned construction of a shopping mall at Taksim Square in Istanbul. Photo by EPA

Turkey is entering a second day of violent protests, with fresh clashes between police and demonstrators in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.

The protest at Gezi Park in Istanbul's Taksim Square started after trees were torn up over a government redevelopment plan. It has now widened into a broader demonstration against what protestors see as an increasingly authoritarian government.

The protest escalated after police used tear gas.

Tear gas was again fired on Saturday as hundreds of protesters tried to cross a Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul, the BBC informs.

In Ankara, protesters tried to march on the parliament.

The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police's tactics.

The unrest reflects growing disquiet at PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party.

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