Friday, May 1, 2015

Turkey: Hundreds of protesters held over May Day rallies

A total of 203 illegal protesters have been detained in Istanbul as May Day demonstrations were held, the city's governor has said.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said in a written statement on Friday: "During demonstrations across Istanbul, five policemen and 18 demonstrators were injured."

He said judicial proceedings against demonstrators who were detained were continuing.

He added: "Most demonstrators ignored illegal calls and celebrated the day in peace.

"More than 20,000 policemen worked to secure peace during the demonstrations in Istanbul."

Sahin thanked Istanbulites who he said responded to the May Day celebrations with "common sense".

He said some "marginal" groups had sought to disrupt public peace and security under the pretext of May 1st celebrations, and tried to enter Taksim Square with "explosive substances".

The statement continued: "Police seized two stun grenades, one gun, 54 Molotov cocktails, five firework launchers, six slingshots, six masks and a radio."

Taksim -- a major interchange on Istanbul's European side and of symbolic importance for unions and leftists -- has been ruled out-of-bounds by the Turkish authorities in recent years.

Labor Day demonstrations in 1977 in Istanbul's Taksim Square led to the deaths of 34 people and wounding of 136 in what became known as Bloody May 1.

The square was closed to demonstrations on Labor Day between 1977 and 2010.

Union activists have been barred from marching to the public square since 2013.

 [www.aa.com.tr]
1/5/15
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2013

1 comment :

  1. Police detained several people in central Istanbul on Friday as Turkey marked May Day amid tensions over a ban on demonstrations in Taksim Square...

    Five people were detained in the central İstanbul neighborhood of Okmeydanı after police found marbles and gas masks on them. News reports said the detainees were stopped and searched by the police, who have the power under a newly passed controversial internal security law to search people when there is “reasonable doubt.”

    In Taksim, police intervened when a group managed to reach the square despite a police blockade. Several demonstrators were detained.

    Several unions, backed by opposition lawmakers, vowed to defy the ban on demonstrations. Union members and other demonstrators began to gather in the neighboring Beşiktaş neighborhood to march to Taksim. Other unions, including the the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Türk-İş), agreed to hold May Day celebrations in other venues and sent representatives to Taksim Square after receiving permission from the authorities. Türk-İş announced that the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, known for its coal mines, will be the center of its May Day celebrations this year.....todayszaman.com
    1/5/15

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