国际英语新闻:Tens of thousands of people stage anti-government protests in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, June 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 50,000 demonstrators packed Taksim square on Saturday in the center of Turkey's coastal city of Istanbul, as the five-day protests against the demolition of a park boiled over into a move against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The nationwide demonstration was triggered after the police broke up a peaceful sit-in against the demolition 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, calling his government the "fascist" government during their protests in Istanbul and other cities.

President Abdullah Gul intervened to stop 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.

Riot police then withdraw from Taksim's Gezi Park in the afternoon and took barricades. 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.

Earlier, Erdogan called on demonstrators to end their protest, saying the government would press ahead with the redevelopment plans about Gezi Park that sparked the demonstrations.

The incidents had turned violent on Thursday night when hundreds of people joined protesters who had been camping for the three days to stand guard against the demolition of the park's walls.