ISTANBUL — Riot police on Saturday fired plastic bullets, tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of people in Istanbul protesting a government plan to expand controls over public use of the Internet.
Police took action after some protesters hurled firebombs at officers. Plainclothes police were seen arresting some demonstrators and escorting them to police vehicles. There weren’t any immediate reports of injuries.
Police broke up groups of protesters who gathered at the city’s main hub, Taksim, and along a main street to denounce the draft bill that would allow Turkey’s telecommunications authority to block websites or remove content accused of privacy violations without a court decision, and force service providers to keep Internet users’ data for two years.
Critics say that would expand the government’s already tight grip on the Internet. The government rejects accusations of censorship, saying the move aims to protect privacy.
The measure comes as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is fighting a corruption probe targeting people close to him. The new Internet controls come as alleged police documents and photographs linked to the corruption probe have been leaked through the Internet.
