Turkish Riot Police Enter Taksim Square: Riot Police Clash With Protesters In Attempt To Break Up Protests [PHOTOS]
In the latest round of violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the two sides faced off with police using water cannons and tear gas and the protesters responding with Molotov cocktails, stones, homemade fireworks and makeshift shields. The police eventually pulled out. The Turkish protesters are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan because of his increasingly authoritarian policies. According to a CNN translation, Prime Minster Erdogan responded on Sunday to protesters in the capital Ankara, saying, “Let's face off at the ballot box in seven months. If you are saying democracy and freedom, if you are saying rights and freedoms, you cannot achieve that with violence. Only within the laws, you can achieve it.”
Protests have continued since late May, evolving from a peaceful sit-in to prevent the demolition of Gezi Park into an anti-Erdogan and anti-authoritarian government protest.
Take a look at some photos documenting the unrest.
![Protesters Run From Water Cannon Protesters Run From Water Cannon](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301207/protesters-run-water-cannon.jpg)
![Protester Hit By Water Cannon Protester Hit By Water Cannon](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301211/protester-hit-water-cannon.jpg)
![Fireworks Explode Around Crowd Control Vehicle Fireworks Explode Around Crowd Control Vehicle](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301215/fireworks-explode-around-crowd-control-vehicle.jpg)
![Protesters Flee From Tear Gas Protesters Flee From Tear Gas](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301219/protesters-flee-tear-gas.jpg)
![Protester Throws Tear Gas Canister Back Protester Throws Tear Gas Canister Back](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301223/protester-throws-tear-gas-canister-back.jpg)
![Protesters Stop Water Cannon Vehicle Protesters Stop Water Cannon Vehicle](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301227/protesters-stop-water-cannon-vehicle.jpg)
![Protesters Reinforce Barricades Protesters Reinforce Barricades](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301231/protesters-reinforce-barricades.jpg)
![Protesters Take Cover Protesters Take Cover](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301235/protesters-take-cover.jpg)
![Riot Police March Through Taksim Square Riot Police March Through Taksim Square](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301239/riot-police-march-through-taksim-square.jpg)
![Riot Police Push Photographer Riot Police Push Photographer](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301243/riot-police-push-photographer.jpg)
![Protester Throws Bottle At Police Protester Throws Bottle At Police](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301247/protester-throws-bottle-police.jpg)
![Protesters Taunt Riot Police Protesters Taunt Riot Police](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/1301251/protesters-taunt-riot-police.jpg)
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