11 June 2013 Last updated at 15:08 ET
...Protesters stayed in nearby Gezi Park, (click here) returning to Taksim Square, as police operations continued into the evening.
The unrest began after a crackdown on an environmental protest over Gezi Park's redevelopment.
The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state....
Prime Minister Erdogan needs to meet with those concerned for the park and seek alternatives. This is ridiculous. There is no reason to escalate this into confrontation and violence.
