Turkey violence flares after raid

Turkish protesters rally on John F Kennedy Street near the US Embassy in Ankara early yesterday calling for the government to resign. Tens of thousands of Turkish government supporters were expected in Istanbul yesterday, hours after police stormed Gezi park near Taksim square to clear it of opponents of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: AFP

Police sealed off a flashpoint Istanbul park yesterday after firing tear gas and water cannon to dislodge thousands of protesters in a night of violence that sent tensions soaring in Turkey following more than two weeks of anti-government unrest.
Riot police were still clashing with pockets of protesters in streets near Gezi Park as tens of thousands of supporters of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan began gathering for a rally 10 kilometres (six miles) away.
The operation to clear Gezi Park late Saturday came just two hours after Erdogan issued an ultimatum to demonstrators to end their occupation of the site, the symbolic heart of nationwide protests against the government.
Thousands of campers scrambled to escape the clouds of acrid smoke, as officers with gas masks and riot shields stormed the patch of green, clearing it within minutes and leaving a trail of empty tents in their wake.
Many demonstrators sought refuge in the luxury hotels bordering the park, prompting police to douse the lobby of at least one five-star establishment with water as guests choked on tear gas fumes.