Turkish Police Arrest 500 at Istanbul May Day Rally, Deploy Tear Gas
Over 500 people were arrested by Turkish police during May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, with officers deploying tear gas against crowds. Many of those detained were attempting to march towards Taksim Square, a site historically associated with anti-government protests, which police had sealed off overnight.
May Day Clampdown in Istanbul
Taksim Square has been subject to a demonstration ban since 2013. Turkish cities routinely experience substantial police deployments on 1 May, coinciding with International Labour Day celebrations globally.
The CHD lawyers' group, present at the rallies, confirmed more than 500 arrests. While demonstrations were suppressed in parts of Istanbul, celebrations were permitted by the governor's office in Kadikoy and Kartal. Similar gatherings proceeded in Izmir's Gundogdu Square and Diyarbakır's Istasyon Square, where extensive security measures were in force.
In Istanbul's Mecidiyekoy district, a large contingent of protesters was encircled by police. Erkan Bas, president of the Turkish Workers' Party, was among those in Mecidiyekoy who breached police barricades, leading to dispersal with water cannons and tear gas. Bas condemned the blockage of Taksim Square as "illegal" and demanded its opening.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan posted on X, congratulating "all our worker brothers and sisters who earn their living through their labor and create added value for their country and nation on May 1st, Labor and Solidarity Day."
