Thousands of women stage protests in Istanbul

More than 2,000 Turkish women staged anti-government protests on the International Women's Day in Istanbul Saturday evening.

The demonstrators gathered in Istanbul's busiest Istiklal street to protest the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) policies and any violence against women, Xinhua reported.

Around 50 members of an women association gathered at Gezi Park's entry facing Taksim Square, carrying banners denouncing domestic violence.

Riot police backed up with water cannons blocked all the way out to Taksim square cordoning off the square. The police used their shields to disperse the crowd.

The demonstrators shouted slogans against police brutality and against the government.

The female protesters chanted "Police go home, the streets are ours," "Tayyip (Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan) run away the women are coming."

The protest ended with minor quarrels between the two sides.

According to a survey conducted by the Turkish Health Union, more than 79 percent of respondents believe there is gender inequality in Turkey that has caused poverty and disadvantages among women.