Turkish riot police fired teargas and pressure water to disperse protesters who gathered in Taksim early Saturday evening to serve the notice of Istanbul 1st Regional Court's decision to cancel the Taksim pedestrianization project and to open the Gezi Park to its true owners.

The Taksim project of the ruling AKP government had sparked protests late May after police forcibly evicted the Gezi Park, using excessive force against a small group who started to stay in the park which was being planned to be demolished for the building of a barracks at the park. In response to the police violence, thousands took to the streets to protest the Taksim project and the increasing repressive policies and practices of the government. Four people were killed, twelve others lost their sight and some ten thousand people were injured as a result of the brutal police violence against demonstrators across the country.

The police terror against peaceful protestors reached a new level yesterday as the brutal crackdown of riot police was supported by pro-government groups who attacked protestors using machetes, as well as by plainclothes policemen using sticks. The videos shot at the scenes of yesterday's clashes show that these men arbitrarily attacked demonstrators, including women who were just taking part in the peaceful demo.

Thousands of policemen had already blockaded the Taksim Square and the streets leading to it before the mass demo which had been set to take place at 7 p.m. The police intervention started one hour before the demo.

A number of people were injured and more than 60 were taken into custody, including eleven journalists who were deliberately targeted by the police during the crackdown which lasted till late night. Videos show that police have once again fired tear gas and rubber bullet on people at close range.

In the meantime, Taksim Solidarity Platform, which had called for the mass demo yesterday, has once again called on people to gather at Taksim Square and to march to the Gezi Park to open it to the public. It said in a written statement that they have not given up the demands they had highlighted during protests of the last month.

One other mass protest will take place in Istanbul's Kadıköy district where thousands are expected to join the “1st Traditional Gas Man Festival”today to protest against police violence and the Turkish media which has greatly remained silent and avoided broadcasting the Gezi protests since the beginning of mass demos and police crackdown on protestors early July. A number of artists are scheduled to perform at the event which will also witness a fashion show organized by Barbaros Şansal.

The demo has been scheduled as a follow-up of new forms of demonstration for an independent and democratic Turkey. Demonstrators across the country are for some time now gathering at central park areas and holding forums where they discuss and express their opinions and proposals for the achievement of their demands for freedom and democracy. The new form of protests was sparked by performance artist Erdem Gündüz who started a silent protest in Taksim Square mid June, simply standing in the Square, facing the Atatürk Cultural Center, without moving or speaking for hours. The standing man was soon supported and joined by thousands others not only in Istanbul but also throughout the country in the following days. The standing man became an icon of peaceful protest across the world.

Mass demos are expected to take place today in other big cities, including capital Ankara where thousands gathered at the central Kızılay Square last night to protest the violence protestors in Istanbul were subject to yesterday.