(ISTANBUL) - Turkish police intervened against groups attempting to march to Istanbul’s Taksim Square on May Day, detaining more than 100 people as authorities enforced a ban on demonstrations in central districts, according to officials and local organizations.
Authorities had barred gatherings, marches and public statements throughout the day in key districts including Beyoğlu, Şişli, Fatih and Beşiktaş, effectively sealing off access to Taksim Square, a symbolic site for labor rallies.
Despite the restrictions, groups gathered in areas such as Beşiktaş and Mecidiyeköy and attempted to march toward the square. Police used crowd-control measures, including water cannon, to disperse participants and detained multiple individuals, including members of the People’s Liberation Party (HKP), according to reports and statements from the groups.
Opposition criticism and political reactions
The Istanbul branch of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) said the number of detainees had exceeded 100 across the city. Erkan Baş, leader of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), was seen among demonstrators in Mecidiyeköy and criticized the restrictions, calling the ban on access to Taksim “unlawful” and urging authorities to reopen the square to workers.
The Istanbul governor’s office said the measures were aimed at maintaining public order and emphasized that only officially designated areas would be permitted for May Day events. Authorities also shut several metro stations and transport links leading to Taksim, including key stops on the M2 line, as part of the security plan.
While central districts were restricted, labor unions and professional organizations held authorized rallies in other parts of the city, including Kadıköy and Kartal on Istanbul’s Asian side.
Opposition figures criticized the restrictions, arguing that May Day celebrations should be allowed in central locations. CHP official Gamze Taşcıer said workers traditionally gather in city centers worldwide and described Taksim as the “heart” of such demonstrations in Türkiye.
Taksim’s symbolic importance
Taksim Square has long been a focal point for labor movements and political demonstrations in Türkiye, particularly since the deadly events of May Day 1977, when dozens of people were killed during a rally in the square. The site has since become a powerful symbol for workers’ rights and public assembly, although access has frequently been restricted by authorities in recent years on security grounds.