A small scale protest, which was meant to stop the destruction of what has been described as an oasis in the heart of Istanbul, replacing it with an Ottoman era-themed shopping complex, has led to more than 235 protests in sixty-sevent cities in Turkey. According to the latest news reports, more than 1,700 people have been arrested. On 1 June , Amnesty International said the use of tear gas had caused an unknown number of injuries, including serious head injuries when the tear gas canisters had hit protestors. Turkish Doctors Association reported the death of one protester in Istanbul with 8 protesters in critical conditions in the city of Ankara. The Association also said at least six people lost eyes as police brutally attacked peaceful protesters by throwing gas ganisters and using water cannons. Two sociologists, UC Berkeley’s Cihan Tugal and Koc University’s Erdem Yörük spoke with Vomena’s Shahram Aghamir about the underlying factors in the ongoing mass protests, the goverment brutal respose tot he protests and its policies, which have caused disaffection among different social groups in Turkey.