Turkey protests: 'Not about trees anymore'

Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Turkey in the fiercest protests the country has seen in years. Dozens of people have been injured.

The unrest reflects a growing discontentment with the Islamist rooted Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party. A young protester told Reuters:

The unrest originally centred around plans to redevelop a large green space in Istanbul:

• The protests began on Monday after trees were torn up under a government redevelopment plan for Taksim Square
• Violence erupted on Friday after a dawn police raid on demonstrators who had been camped out for days

• More than 12 people were injured as a wall they were climbing collapsed as they tried to flee clouds of tear gas
• Amnesty International said it was concerned by the 'excessive use of force' by police against what was a peaceful protest

• "Kiss protests" were already planned for this weekend in Istanbul and Ankara after reports that officials had admonished a couple for kissing on a subway