Police crack down on Taksim Square rally, protesters reply with flowers

(22 Jun 2013) AP TELEVISION 1. Various top views police charging towards demonstrators 2. Top view of police charging towards demonstrators 3. Top view of water cannon spraying protesters 4. Top view of police charging 5. Top view of water cannon spraying protesters 6. Top view of police charging 7. Police charging 8. Various of water cannon spraying protesters 9. Mid of man being arrested 10. Various water cannons 11. Mid of people hiding behind a statue, water cannon spraying them 12. Wide man handing out flowers to policemen inside water cannon truck, pan to water cannon spraying protesters on a side street 13. Close of man handing out flowers to water cannon police 14. Wide water cannon spreading water on people 15. Mid of protesters shouting on side street STORYLINE: Turkish police used water cannon to disperse thousands who had gathered in Istanbul's central Taksim Square on Saturday to observe a memorial for four people killed during a wave of anti-government protests. The police move, which was more restrained than previous times, came as the demonstrations had appeared to be subsiding in recent days. The protests in Turkey erupted three weeks ago after riot police brutally cracked down on peaceful environmental activists who opposed plans to develop Gezi Park, which lies next to Taksim. The demonstrations soon turned into expressions of discontent with what critics say is Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian and meddlesome ways. Erdogan, who took power a decade ago, denies he is authoritarian and, as evidence of his popularity, points to elections in 2011 that returned his party to power with 50 percent of the vote and gave him a third term in office. He has declared that foreign-led conspirators he alleges are behind the anti-government movement in his country are also fomenting the recent unrest in Brazil. On Saturday, demonstrators converged in Taksim square, where they lay down carnations in remembrance of at least three protesters and a police officer killed in the rallies. For about two hours, protesters shouted anti-government slogans and demanded that Erdogan resign before police warned them to leave the square. Some demonstrators tried to give carnations to the security forces watching over the square. But after their warnings to disperse were ignored, police pushed back protesters with water cannon, even chasing stragglers down side streets and apparently blocking entrances to the square. An Associated Press journalist said police fired tear gas on one group of protesters in a Taksim backstreet, but unlike previous demonstrations, police refrained from widespread use of tear gas. In past weeks, police were also accused of firing tear gas canisters directly at protesters. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...