The new young Turks
Protests against Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his ham-fisted response, have shaken his rule and his country
Jun 8th 2013 | ISTANBUL |From the print edition
IT BEGAN with a grove of sycamores. For months environmentalists had been protesting against a government-backed plan to chop the trees down to make room for a shopping and residential complex in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. They organised a peaceful sit-in with tents, singing and dancing. On May 31st riot police staged a pre-dawn raid, dousing the protesters with jets of water and tear gas and setting fire to their encampment. Images of the brutality—showing some protesters bloodied, others blinded by plastic bullets—spread like wildfire across social media.
More:Turkey erupts: The new young Turks | The Economist
