Taksim Gezi Park, an urban park next to Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey's Beyoglu district is one of the last green spaces in Beyoglu and one of the smallest parks of Istanbul. In late May 2013, plans to replace the park with a shopping mall and possible residences sparked nationwide protests.
Riots soon developed when a group occupying the park was attacked by police with no mercy. On May 31, officers suppressed the protesters with tear gas, pressurized water, and both rubber and real bullets. They arrested hundreds of people and injured thousands, and the action received extensive attention online.
The concerns have since broadened beyond the park to issues such as freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, as well as more broadly defending the secularism of Turkey. The unrest also spread to other Turkish cities, and protests were seen in countries with significant Turkish communities.
Riots soon developed when a group occupying the park was attacked by police with no mercy. On May 31, officers suppressed the protesters with tear gas, pressurized water, and both rubber and real bullets. They arrested hundreds of people and injured thousands, and the action received extensive attention online.
The concerns have since broadened beyond the park to issues such as freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, as well as more broadly defending the secularism of Turkey. The unrest also spread to other Turkish cities, and protests were seen in countries with significant Turkish communities.
