The police are still out in huge numbers in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, and Antalya - it must be 50,000 or more police officers.
They have been much more restrained this afternoon and tonight but still use what seems to be unnecessary force - sometimes shooting tear gas at or using pressurized water cannons on groups of people who are only walking down the street.
This may be because they were ordered to stand down
or
it may be because they know they can't control the situation if they start using excess force again.
I have been in contact with people in the cities around Turkey (I am in Antalya) and there are millions of people protesting right now.
Some are just walking in the streets shouting slogans and carrying banners or flags.
Some are driving around and protesting by honking.
Some are at windows beating on pots or pans.
Some are switching their lights off and on.
Millions, many millions, all now, all at the same time protesting.
Update: The Ministry of the Interior has released a statement that they have had to deal with more than 90 protests in 48 counties today, that 939 people have been arrested, that 53 citizens are currently hospitalzed (16 of them in Istanbul) due to injuries suffered during the protests (one is in intensive care), and that 26 police officers were injured - with no information about how many are hospitalized.
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Posts about the protests:
Something Tremendulous is Happening in Turkey. Updates.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Brutal police intervention in Istanbul. #occupygezi
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Everything you need to know about the protest in Turkey [background, photos, and more]
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Protests in Turkey - The Police Pull Back - The Protesters Occupy Taksim Square
http://www.dailykos.com/...
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