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Raze (House Music)

Helsinki protesters demonstrate against Turkish police force

Protesters took to the streets of Helsinki to rally in support of demonstrators in the Turkish capital. Activists had occupied Gezi Park in Istanbul’s Taksim Square to protest government plans to raze the park to build a shopping mall. Human rights organizations have condemned alleged unnecessary force used by Turkish police to try and break up the protests.

Turkin hallituksen mielenosoittajia kohtaan käyttämää väkivaltaa vastustava protesti kokosi kymmeniä mielenosoittajia Helsingin Rautatieasemalle lauantaina 1. kesäkuuta 2013.
Turkin hallituksen mielenosoittajia kohtaan käyttämää väkivaltaa vastustava protesti kokosi kymmeniä mielenosoittajia Helsingin Rautatieasemalle lauantaina 1. kesäkuuta 2013. Image: Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva

The demonstration against the heavy-handed measures gathered about 50 participants at the Central Railway Station in downtown Helsinki, according to police sources.

However protesters estimated that turn out for the rally was closer to 100.

The rally was organised as a sign of solidarity for activists in Istanbul protesting against the conversion of an important park into a shopping mall.

The sit-in spread and turned into anti-government protests that migrated to other cities as police deployed water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas to break up the demonstrations, injuring scores of people.

Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have condemned the actions of the Turkish police. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since vowed that he will push ahead with the planned re-development project.