Turkish authorities went to great lengths to prevent public gatherings in Istanbul . They used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators who defied ban . Taksim Square holds particular importance to leftist parties , because dozens of people were killed there in a May 1 , 1977 rally in which gunfire triggered a deadly stampede . The government also banned the use of social media by protesters, which led many people to take to Twitter or other forms of communication to organize protests against the government.
Turkish authorities went to great lengths to prevent public gatherings in Istanbul . They used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators who defied ban . The government also banned the use of social media by protesters, which led many people to take to Twitter or other forms of communication to organize protests against the government.