Istanbul, Sep 11 (AP) Thousands of people protested in Istanbul against COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday.

Unmasked crowds gathered in Maltepe, an open space on the city's Asian side.

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A woman in the crowd held a placard that read: “we are born free and we want to live free.”

Turkey's mask mandate outdoors and in public places remains in place after reopening in July after a lockdown.

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The country has seen a rise in cases and deaths since then, with daily infections increasing from around 5,000 to more than 20,000. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)