Just adding a little backstory here, since the article refers to the use of molotov cocktails.

About a year and a half ago I was witness to and supporter of the Gezi park protests. I guess the most scary part of it was not even the brutal use of police force including firing tear gas canisters at shallow angles and point blank range. Including sexual abuse of suspected protestors and molesting injured people inside ambulances.

No, it was the ease with which democratic institutions were abused and dismantled. Doctors who treated the injured were arrested for doing their duty. The same went for lawyers. The press took a special role in all this. Apart from two small TV stations they first kept silent while the city around them was ablaze. Going a far as broadcasting a penguin documentary. When they finally showed up at the square, it was to document a little staged play.

Two or three individuals (can't remember exactly) where sheltering behind a piece of plywood with the name of a marginal political party written on it. They were the only ones throwing molotov cocktails. The police was out in great force, including four TOMA riot vehicles, but let the molotov'ers do their thing. The news cameras were documenting the show from the side of the police. They missed small details like the 'protestors' gesturing the riot vehicles to come closer for better effect.

Later some pictures surfaced that showed these protestors were carrying police radios and one was later spotted in the company of a(nother) police officer. Nice show.

In further violation of democratic principles, with 15 minutes of the protest the police stormed the offices of the democratic party which was mentioned on the plywood and arrested them. Found some "condemning" evidence and shut them down for good.

So much for my memory triggered by the molotov cocktail. Oh yeah and still some people here consider Western states to be police states....