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Brutal Police Action Takes Taksim Square By Force

by Steven Argue
[Turkish flags flying in the rubble, erected by police after tearing down banners, Taksim Square, June 11, 2013. (Photo credit: Action Press)]
000000000000_anti-government-protest-i-005.jpg
Brutal Police Action Takes Taksim Square By Force

by Steven Argue

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan has announced an end to tolerance and took Taksim Square by brute police force. Police force included a barrage of rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas. Rubber bullets are at times lethal ammunition. Seventy-three lawyers were also rounded-up as part of the crack-down on dissent as well.

Up until now, Erdogan's idea of tolerance has been brutal police repression that has left at least four people dead, seriously injured many others, rounded up people and jailed them for basic free speech including journalists and people who sent announcements on Twitter, included joint attacks of supporters of the ruling AKP (Erdogan's party) with the police attacking protesters, and included the documented torture of 1,000 of the prisoners rounded up since the people began this uprising against Erdogan's brutal and repressive regime.

Protests have held the square for about two weeks, but protesters have fought off police attacks in the past.

In his chilling announcement before the police attack on Taksim Square, Erdogan proclaimed:

"To those who ... are at Taksim and elsewhere taking part in the demonstrations with sincere feelings: I call on you to leave those places and to end these incidents and I send you my love. But for those who want to continue with the incidents I say: 'It's over.' As of now we have no tolerance for them. Not only will we end the actions, we will be at the necks of the provocateurs and terrorists and no one will get away with it."

Of course the true criminal is Erdogan, and the real question will be if he gets away with it.

Down with Erdogan's brutal Capitalist / Islamic Regime!

For the Building of a Revolutionary Proletarian Party to Split the Military, Smash the Capitalist State, And Carry Out a Socialist Proletarian Revolution!

-Steven Argue of the Revolutionary Tendency

The following article I wrote explains much of what has been going on. (the general strike was two days and is over for now, but the rest is current):

Turkey: Workers Begin General Strike as Protests and Government Repression Continue
by Steven Argue
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/06/05/18737997.php

Video of 73 lawyers being rounded-up by Erdigon's police today as part of his announced crackdown on dissent:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=463386340420049

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