Although protests had been largely peaceful, some demonstrators had thrown rocks, petrol bombs and fireworks towards police lines.
Ambulances were seen moving in and out of the square, as protesters set a number of small fires.
Riot police fear a round of tear gas at protesters in Taksim Square
"Police start by using water cannon to push protesters away but if they feel that's not working, they fire rounds of tear gas towards them," Sky's Katie Stallard, in Taksim Sqaure, said.
"They're trying to create a buffer zone between themselves and the protesters, as they try to bring the square under some form of police control.
"Every time the police pull back, the protesters push forward. They're being heavily gassed and having significant amounts of water fired at them by the police."
A protester wearing a gas mask is forced back by water cannon
Heavy duty vehicles moved in to remove barricades from the square, as Huseyin Avni Mutlu, the governor of Istanbul, said riot police would work "day and night" to clear protesters.
"We will continue our measures in an unremitting manner," he said.
Authorities' attempts to clear the square came after Turkey's prime minister warned he had "no more tolerance" for the mass anti-government protests that are taking place across the country.
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