Police push back against thousands of protesters in Istanbul as unrest returns to the city's Taksim Square.

20:33, UK, Saturday 22 June 2013

Clashes in Istanbul, Taksim Square

Riot police have fired water cannon to clear protesters from Istanbul's Taksim Square, in the first clash at the site for nearly a week.

The demonstrators had converged at the square for a memorial to those killed in nearly three weeks of anti-government protests.

The protesters laid carnations and shouted anti-government slogans in remembrance of three protesters and a police officer killed in the unrest.

Turkey protests

Police then pushed the protesters back with water cannon after warnings for them to disperse were ignored.

The crowd quickly scattered, and water cannon trucks parked at several entry points to Taksim Square to prevent people from regrouping.

People living around the square banged pots and pans, a sign of solidarity with protesters throughout more than three weeks of unrest in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey.

Turkey protests

The square has been the cradle of protests triggered when police used force to remove a group of environmentalists opposed to government plans to develop Gezi Park, a green space in central Istanbul which adjoins Taksim Square.

But they turned into a much broader show of dissent against the government and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who opponents say is an authoritarian leader who is increasingly meddling in their everyday lives.

Mr Erdogan, who has overseen an economic boom during his 10 years in charge, sees himself as a champion of democracy and has been riled by the show of dissent.

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