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In Pictures: The front lines of Taksim Square

Makeshift barricades and fireworks were not enough to stop police from arresting dozens, including medics and minors.

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A young man stands on top of a burnt car in Taksim Square. The square, located across from Gezi Park, has been referred to Turkey(***)s Tahrir Square by some commentators. The government says such a reference is absurd as Turkey is a democracy and Egypt was a dictatorship during the Tahrir protests. 
By Oren Ziv
Published On 5 Jun 2013

Istanbul, Turkey –  During the day-time, protests in Turkey’s largest city have been comparatively  peaceful in the last week but after sundown, confrontations between police and protesters have been more heated. The epicenter of these clashes has been at Taksim Square and Beshiktash Stadium, in the heart of Istanbul.

As night settled on Tuesday, thousands gathered in front of the stadium. Police used water cannons and tear gas, forcing people to flee towards Taksim. Afterwards, they stormed a nearby area and arrested more than 30 people. Protesters claim that plainclothes police detained and physically assaulted people. The protesters include leftist coalitions, football clubs, dissatisfied youth, and secularists.

Some demonstrators have ripped up streets, street signs, and even bus shelters to create makeshift barricades.

Thousands gather in front of Beshiktash Stadium to confront the police. The protesters include leftist coalitions, football clubs, dissatisfied youth, and secularists.
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Fans of Beshiktash soccer club light torches in Taksim Square as they join the anti-government protests. Turkey(***)s football fans are known for their fierce rivalry and aggressive intimidation. In a rare form of unity, the country(***)s football clubs are teaming up against the police.
Protesters flee as police use water cannons to disperse the demonstrations. The violent crackdowns have been condemned by both the demonstrators and government. "At the beginning of the protests, the excessive violence used against people concerned about the environment was wrong. It was unfair and I apologise to those citizens," said Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc. 
Police fire tear gas at protesters near Taksim Square. Helicopters have shot canisters into residential neighbourhoods to smoke people out of buildings. 
Activists use pavement stones to build barricades between Beshiktash and Taksim.
Activists tear up pavement from the street to build barricades. These temporary blockades do a good deal of damage to city property and as a result, traffic has greatly increased and infrastructure projects have temporarily ceased. 
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The Turkish Doctors Association said that more than 1,000 people have been injured since the demonstrations began. Prime Minister Ergodan has remained confrontational towards the demonstrators, calling them "extremists" and "vandals".
Activists take a rest to recover from tear gas exposure in a local college near the site of the clashes. Shop owners sympathetic to the protests have made public their WiFi passwords to give internet access to the demonstrators. 
The protesters have accused the police of indiscriminate arrests and detaining innocent bystanders. Above, the police arrest a medic.
Demonstrators have thrown stones, bricks, fireworks, and flares at the police, although no live ammunition has yet been used by either side.

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