Turkish protests subside after days of unrest

Protests in Istanbul and several other Turkish cities appear to have subsided, after days of fierce clashes following a police crackdown on a peaceful gathering.

Only a few hundred protesters remain at Istanbul’s main square, which was the scene of the largest and fiercest anti-government outburst in Turkey in years, the private Dogan news agency said today. The group lit a bonfire and chanted anti-government slogans in an all-night vigil, but shrank as rain set in.