ANKARA/ISTANBUL, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of protesters still gathered in Taksim Square in Turkey's Istanbul on Sunday as the five-day protests against the demolition of a park boiled over into a move against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The demonstrations started in Istanbul and have spilled over into many other cities of Turkey. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said Saturday evening that a total of 939 had been taken in custody during the protests in 48 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Konya, Eskisehir.
The nationwide demonstrations were triggered after the police broke up a peaceful sit-in against the demolition with tear gas and water cannon on Friday. A total of 12 protesters were injured and at least 63 people detained during raid, according to Istanbul Governor's Office.
The angry protesters on Saturday demanded Erdogan to step down during their protests.
Thousands of citizens in Turkish capital of Ankara have been gathering at Kugulu Park since Friday and peacefully demonstrated, chanting "Everywhere is resistance, everywhere is Taksim!"
Another group of people gathering in Kizilay, the main square of the city. They were quelled by tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets while attempting to walk in front of the prime minister's office.
Also, in some neighborhoods of Ankara and Istanbul, some residents banged pots and pans in protest, while cars sounded their horns.
In response, President Abdullah Gul on Saturday called for halting the confrontation in Taksim, urging "moderation" to ease the tension there as the situation was "very sensitive." Following the call, the interior minister asked the police forces to pull out from the square.
During the retreat of the police, some protesters hurled objects at police officers and their vehicles, prompting the latter to fire tear gas to push back the crowds.
On Saturday night, about 5,000 protesters surrounded and threw stones at Erdogan's office in Istanbul, leaving at least 12 policemen injured.
An eyewitness told Xinhua that fury protesters broke some windows and burned several police vehicles while attacking some Turkish television broadcast vehicles because some national TV channels did not cover the protests.
Special police forces rushed to the scene and used tear gas and high-pressured water gun to disperse the protesters.
The protests, which started five days ago, aimed at saving a city center park in Istanbul from shopping-center developers who had been backed by the government.
Earlier, Erdogan, who was facing his biggest challenge during his 10-year rule, called on demonstrators to end their protest, saying the government would press ahead with the redevelopment plans about Gezi Park that sparked the demonstrations.
An Istanbul court on Sunday ordered temporary suspension of the project, but anti-government protests continued with many citizens showing their support to the protesters and expressing their outrage at the police's "brutal raids."
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