ISTANBUL, Turkey- The Turkish government sent 25,000 police officers to disperse crowds of protestors who gathered in central Istanbul to mark the one-year anniversary of Turkey’s largest anti-government protest in decades.

Riot police circled the perimeter of the square and hundreds of plain-clothed police carrying batons patrolled the area.

Police blocked off all roads and stopped public transport to the Gezi Park area and Taksim Square hoping to quell protestors who came to mark the one-year anniversary.

More than 10 protestors have been arrested by police, who were told by the Turkish government to “do whatever is necessary from A to Z to stop the protestors”.

In 2013, protestors, mostly environmentalists, descended on Taksim Square to protest the Turkish government’s, under the rule of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, plans to take away the adjoining green space of Gezi Park and turn it into a shopping mall.

The protestors staged a peaceful sit-in for several days to fight for the green space because it was one of the only parks left in central Istanbul. Erdogan had the police forcefully remove the protestors, and this use of violence brought tens of thousands of protestors to Taksim Square for two weeks before police could finally regain control of the space.

The subsequent months of unrest after the protest resulted in dozens of deaths at the hands of Turkish police who were given permission by Erdogan and the government to use “violent force” if necessary.

This past week, despite preemptive action by police, hundreds of protestors showed up shouting phrases such as “Resign murderer Erdogan” and “Everywhere is Taksim. Everywhere is resistance”.

Elif Cetinkaya and her family stood across the street from the square, quietly protesting by wearing T-shirts with the faces of those killed in the 2013 protest.

“Why did so many people have to die to save this park?” Cetinkaya said. “We are here to mourn their loss and show that we stand firm, no matter what obstacles they erect,” Cetinkaya said.

Police helicopters flew overhead and police officers fired water cannons and tear gas on the protestors, who huddled together en masse, hoping to read a statement and lay flowers at Taksim Square to honor the dozens of deaths.

Several news stations reported that tourists lugging suitcases, who had no idea the protest anniversary was occurring, got caught in the tear gas and frantically ran for cover shielding their eyes and dropping their belongings in the streets.

Prime Minister Erdogan, who has faced a more recent divided faction over his attempts to block popular websites such as YouTube and Twitter, urged his people, particularly young people, to avoid the demonstration and further demonstrations, saying the movement that began in 2013 against his government was founded by “terrorist organizations” that “manipulated our morally and financially weak youth to attack our unity and put our economy under threat”.

“Don’t fall for these games. This is not about environmentalism. There is no sincerity or honesty here” Erdogan said.

For more information see:

Al Jazeera- Police use tear gas on Turkish demonstrators– 1 June 2014

Haaretz- Facing 25,000 Police Officers, Turkey Activists Mark Gezi Protest Anniversary– 31 May 2014

Jerusalem Post- Turkish Police Fire Tear Gas at Activists Marking Taksim Protests– May 31 2014

TIME- Police Tear Gas Protestors On Taksim Square Anniversary– 31 May 2014