Civil Liberties

In Crackdown, Turkish Police Arrest 30 Over Protesters

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Turkish police arrested about 30 people in Istanbul on Tuesday after briefly detaining more than 1,000 in a widening crackdown after weeks of violent anti-government protests, lawyers and local media reports said.

An Istanbul prosecutor also rejected the release of detained members of Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella group of activists including trade bodies, political parties and non-governmental organizations that helped organize the demonstrations.

Five people died and thousands were wounded during the protests, which began peacefully in late May over plans to redevelop an Istanbul park, but spiraled into a broader show of defiance against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government.