10,000 Rioting in Istanbul

At least 10,000 rioters have descended on Gezi Park in Istanbul in an attempt to stop police from demolishing the treasured park in the city’s center—which houses trees up to 75 years old. Law enforcement is reportedly using tear gas and hoses to fend off the protesters, who are angry at the decision to turn the park into a shopping mall. Rumors are circulating that police have begun resorting to harsher weapons, such as rubber bullets, to control the growing mob. Through a Reddit thread, rioters are documenting the scene as it plays out, Tweeting with the hashtags #OccupyGezi and #DirenGeziPark, the latter of which became the second-highest trending tag worldwide Friday morning.