Turkish Police, demonstrators clash again in Istanbul

photo Riot police clash with demonstrators after they used tear gas and pressurized water in a dawn raid Friday to rout a peaceful demonstration by hundreds of people staging a sit-in to prevent the uprooting of trees at an Istanbul park, Turkey.

ISTANBUL - Turkish police have let off tear gas and pressurized water against groups of protesters trying to reach a main Istanbul square for a second day of anti-government demonstrations.

The protest grew out of anger at police's heavy-handed tactics to break up a peaceful sit-in to protect a park in Istanbul's main Taksim square on Friday. It turned into a wider protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is seen as becoming increasingly authoritarian and spread to other Turkish cities. Dozens were injured in the scuffles.

On Saturday, police clashed with groups of youths trying to reach Taksim. Some threw stones at police.

Thousands also marched along a Bosporus bridge connecting the Asian and European shores of the city.

The Dogan news agency says 81 demonstrators were detained in Istanbul.

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