“We Are Tired Of This Oppressive Government, “Say Turkish Protesters

Hundreds of protesters have returned to the streets of Istanbul and Ankara after two days of unrest that have seen almost 1,000 arrests.

Largely peaceful protesters waved flags in Istanbul’s Taksim Square but there were reports police had fired tear gas in Kizilay Square in Ankara,according to BBC.

The protests began over redeveloping a park near Taksim Square but broadened into anti-government unrest.

The protests represent the most sustained anti-government unrest for a number of years.

The BBC’s James Reynolds in Istanbul says a lot of people are fed up with the government, which they believe wants to take away some of their personal freedoms.

There had been some isolated clashes around the streets of Istanbul in the early hours of Sunday.

Early in the morning, handfuls of protesters and spectators gathered in Taksim Square to survey the winnings of their battle against the police. Under steady rain, one group of men stood over a small fire. Others looked out across a collection of cars and trucks destroyed late at night. One man wiped clean the steering wheel of a burnt out truck.

“We’re not from any party,” said one protester. “This is civil resistance. We are really happy. We’ve won the square.”

But winning the square has come at a cost. The late night vandalism here has angered some peaceful campaigners.

“After last night we feel like we lost,” said one young man. “It was a protest that was won by the public, but what happened overnight doesn’t reflect well on us.”

Our correspondent says that steady rainfall has dampened protests, and many of the demonstrators went home to get some rest.

However, there were calls on social media for renewed protests and hundreds of people waving flags later returned to Taksim Square, some chanting “Government, Resign”

One protester, Akin, told Reuters: “We will stay until the end. We are not leaving. The only answer now is for this government to fall. We are tired of this oppressive government constantly putting pressure on us.”

More than 1,000 protesters also gathered in Kizilay Square in Ankara on Sunday, with reports police had fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.

Amnesty International claimed two people had been killed and more than 1,000 injured, though there was no confirmation of those figures.

Amnesty’s Europe director John Dalhuisen said: “The excessively heavy-handed response to the entirely peaceful protests in Taksim has been truly disgraceful.”

M.D