Anti-riot police hosed hundreds of Taiwanese demonstrators in the capital city of Taipei early Monday to force them out of the Cabinet building that they occupied on Sunday.

The demonstrators, who were protesting a trade pact that they believed would hand over their country to China, had occupied Taiwan's parliament last week and then moved to the Cabinet building on Sunday.

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The riot police, numbering about a thousand, used water cannons to drive the demonstrators out of the Cabinet building, which also houses Taiwanese Premier Jiang Yi-huah's executive office.

Clashes had intermittently erupted all week when demonstrators threw plastic bottles at the police and attempted to grab their weapons, thus prompting the hosing.

The dispersal injured 110 people, half of whom are from the police side, and resulted in the arrest of some 61 demonstrators.

President Ma Ying-jeou had ignored opposition to the trade pact with China, saying that it was vital for the economy of the nation.

The president also debunked claims that the trade pact would return control of Taiwan to China.  Taiwan broke away from the mainland's governance six decades ago, but China never recognized it as a separate political entity and had insisted on a one-China policy.

The office of the President issued a statement Monday saying the dispersal was done in accordance with law, and that it "will not tolerate actions designed to paralyze the government.''