Turkish police are continuing crackdown on protesters and apparently the press, which RT’s Tom Barton experienced first-hand when attacked by a water cannon. Social media are also flooded with pictures of the wounds from the police’s non-lethal force.
While covering a peaceful protest in Ankara, RT’s correspondent
was sprayed by a water canon law enforcement vehicle in front of
the cameramen and the crew.
The video shows that the truck deliberately started spraying the
correspondent, as the stream of water directly target the news
crew. It further shows the police truck spraying anyone on the
streets.
“Water cannon and gas vehicles have just charged into the
square, if we look down at my legs now, not even the media are
safe,” Barton says. “I just got nearly knocked off of my
feet by the water cannon that has just moved on there.”
Outrage over the police tactics also exploded on social media as rubber bullets were used by law enforcement to disperse the march at Taksim Square on Saturday.
Turkish police is using plastic bullet to protestors! We are human just human!! #çapulculartaksimepic.twitter.com/D4hMv9svgs
— Hülya (@Holydakiran) June 22, 2013
Water cannons were also fired to quell thousands on a day when
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan announced a “foreign conspiracy”
was behind the three week long protest.
A civilian hit by plastic bullet by the police! Occupy gezi for us! #çapulculartaksimepic.twitter.com/qAr6ofvOm1
— Hülya (@Holydakiran) June 22, 2013
Armed with carnation flowers in the hand, demonstrators
approach the police line when they were met by force, flanked by
water cannon, to clear the square.
"Police, don't betray your people!" demonstrators yelled as
police dispersed them.
On Friday, the Turkish publication Hurriyet reported that Ankara
spent $8.5 million on purchasing gas grenades and rubber bullets
from an American company in Pennsylvania over a 15-month period
between October 2011 and December 2012.
With at least 4 dead and more than 5,000 injured in the demonstrations, the government is also intensifying its judicial crackdown. Dozens of suspected protest organizers have been arrested over the last week. On Saturday, a court in Ankara said that 23 more people were arrested and accused of aiding a “terrorist” organization.
The detained are accused of organizing the protests and engaging
in violence for the Communist Marxist-Leninist Party (MLKP), AFP
reported.
The sting operation which started on Tuesday against leftists
cells in Turkey has now detained at least 47 people.
Violence in Turkey erupted on May 31 after a peaceful protest
against plans to demolish Istanbul's Gezi Park was dispersed by
police using force.