Protesters clash with policemen in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - About 5,000 protesters clashed with about 2,000 policemen in downtown Istanbul in Turkey on Saturday evening.

An eyewitness told Xinhua that police used water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters gathering in Taksim Square.

The protesters condemned the closure of Gezi park, chanting " open park, belonging to the public."

However, the police did not let the protesters enter back into the park which has been cordoned off since last week.

Only nine members of the Taksim Solidarity Platform were allowed to lay flowers in the memory of three demonstrators and one police officer who died during the three-week-long nationwide protests.

While some protesters started to leave the square, others regrouped at the Istiklal Avenue which intersects with Taksim square.

Amid the nationwide demonstrations, the Taksim Solidarity Platform has demanded the fulfillment of their conditions put forward during talks with the government.