Ankara , Turkey ( CNN ) -- A peaceful gathering to honor a slain protester turned into chaos Sunday in Ankara as Turkish riot police used water cannons and tear gas to try to disperse rock-throwing demonstrators . In Istanbul , the sound of residents banging pots and pans together echoed down the streets as another face-off between police and anti-government protesters played out . The sound came from the buildings around Taksim Square and the adjacent Gezi Park , which authorities had cleared by force on Saturday . Thousands of demonstrators calling for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's resignation attempted to return to the square and park Sunday , only to be pushed back by police . The neighborhood south of the park was filled with the smell of burning as police swept through the area , firing tear gas at knots of protesters in the streets . At least 29 people were injured in Saturday night 's clashes , Istanbul Gov . Huseyin Avni Mutlu said . Police had warned demonstrators who have occupied Istanbul 's last remaining green space for more than two weeks to depart voluntarily or face being ejected . While the anti-government protests are unlikely to threaten the rule of Erdogan , who has been one of Turkey 's most popular leaders and is credited with the country 's decade of economic growth , they are raising questions about what critics say is a growing authoritarian rule . For his part , Erdogan accuses outsiders of taking advantage of the protests at Gezi Park . Earlier Sunday , thousands of Erdogan 's supporters gathered at a rally a few miles from Taksim Square . They waved flags and sang songs at a rally that was widely viewed as a re-election rally for the prime minister . Erdogan , who has been defiant to protest demands , compared his supporters with the protesters : `` Hundreds of thousands in here are not like the vandals with petrol-bombs in their hands . '' In Ankara , authorities had warned against a gathering to honor Ethem Sarisuluk , who was shot during protests two weeks ago . The gathering took place under a heavy police presence around Kiziyali Square , a different part of the city from where Sarisuluk 's funeral procession was held . At one point , Sarisuluk 's brother knelt in the middle of the road in an attempt to stop oncoming traffic , while police fired tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators . The protesters , in turn , threw rocks at police and put up makeshift barricades to block off streets . The protests started at the end of May over the prime minister 's plan to turn Istanbul 's Gezi Park into a mall . They quickly turned into large anti-government demonstrations that included calls for political reforms . Thugs or protesters ? Erdogan complained Saturday that demonstrators were not meeting him halfway . `` We have reached out with our hands , '' he said . `` However , some people returned their fists in response . Can you shake hands with those who reach out with a fist ? '' He also ridiculed the protesters ' assertions that they are environmentalists , calling them `` thugs '' and citing their honking of horns as evidence of their insincerity . `` This is called noise pollution , '' he said . He accused demonstrators of inciting sectarian violence by attacking a woman in a headscarf , kicking her , dragging her on the ground and snatching her head cover . He said some demonstrators entered a mosque wearing shoes , drank alcohol there and wrote insulting slogans on the walls -- acts forbidden by Muslims . Erdogan praised his government 's performance over the past 10 years , citing a rising standard of living , a quintupling of the central bank 's reserves and plans to build an airport . Root of protests . The unrest began in Istanbul nearly three weeks ago , when a small group of people turned out to protest government plans to bulldoze Gezi Park and replace it with a shopping mall housed inside a replica of 19th-century Ottoman barracks . Protesters said the plans represented a creeping infringement on their rights in a secular society . Turkey was founded after secularists in the early 20th century defeated Islamic Ottoman forces , and many modern-day secularists frown on Ottoman symbols . The protests broadened into an outpouring in the square and throughout the country as security forces cracked down on demonstrators . The unrest also signaled political danger for Erdogan , a populist and democratically elected politician serving his third term in office . CNN 's Ian Lee and Antonia Mortensen reported from Ankara ; Gul Tuysuz , Arwa Damon , Joe Duran and Karl Penhaul reported from Istanbul ; Chelsea J. Carter and Josh Levs reported and wrote from Atlanta .
Pots and pans echo , tear gas wafts over Istanbul streets . Clashes erupt in Ankara , including at an event to honor a slain protester . Erdogan supporters cheer for him at an Istanbul rally . Erdogan remains defiant of protest demands .