9 shocking photos from Istanbul's escalating protests

Tensions between demonstrators and police have come to a dramatic and violent head

Istanbul protest
(Image credit: REUTERS/Osman Orsal)

Popular demonstrations in Turkey took a violent turn on Tuesday, when riot police used tear gas and water cannons to force thousands of protesters from Taksim Square.

The protests began two weeks ago in opposition to a plan to tear out a coveted green space from Istanbul's city center, and later ballooned into a full-fledged rejection of the government.

Here, a look at the chaos that engulfed the city's hub on Tuesday.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

**

**

**

**

**

**

**

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.