Turkish authorities arrested over 200 individuals during an intense crackdown on May Day demonstrations in Istanbul on Wednesday, as thousands defied bans to demonstrate at Taksim Square in defiance of orders not to attend.
At least 217 individuals were taken into custody by Istanbul Governor’s Office for engaging in unauthorised protests and refusing police orders, as security forces prepared for May 1 rallies which are traditionally associated with labor rights activism and political dissidence in Turkey.
Even amid heavy police presence, demonstrators–comprising labor union members, students and opposition groups–protested inflation, unemployment and government repression. Many carried banners with slogans against inflation, unemployment and government repression while many also held signs calling for workers’ rights and democratic freedoms while some condemned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic policies.
Clashes erupted across several districts, such as Besiktas and Sisli. Riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse crowds attempting to breach security barricades with crowds trying to breach them; social media footage revealed plainclothes officers forcibly detaining protesters before hauling them off into waiting police vans.
Human rights groups quickly denounced the police response. Peaceful assembly is an inalienable right; Turkish authorities’ use of heavy-handed measures on May Day once more demonstrated their intolerance toward dissent”, stated Human Rights Watch Europe Division in their statement.
Taksim Square, long the site of workers’ demonstrations, has become off limits to May Day protests ever since the Gezi Park protests broke out in 2013. While authorities claim this restriction is necessary to maintain public safety, critics counter by suggesting it’s part of an overall crackdown on civil liberties.
Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), one of the organizers of planned rallies, issued a press release declaring their members will not bow to state pressure and raise their voices for justice, labor equality and may day – not police – on May Day. “We will continue raising our voices against oppression from any source,” it stated.
Opposition leaders also criticized the government’s response, denouncing it as not being consistent with democratic state behavior. “You cannot silence a nation’s workers by closing roads and arresting citizens,” stated Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
As night fell over Istanbul, smaller demonstrations continued across neighborhoods, with residents banging pots and pans from balconies to show solidarity with detainees who had been taken into custody earlier. Legal groups confirmed that many had been released later that evening – though several remain facing charges related to protest laws.
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