Turkish miners starting their 8th day of hunger strike are surrounded by police in Ankara as they as they attempt to march to the Ministry of Energy.
Police use pepper gas against the miners who tried to break the barricades and against those who join the protest in solidarity.
"We have our receivables, our compensations, our union rights, we are due 5-6 wages, our boss pays us only a very small portion of what is due to us", one of the miners tells AFP.
The protest began after workers set out from nearby Eskişehir on April 13, reaching the capital on April 20, where tensions escalated as authorities halted another planned march.
