ISTANBUL — More than 500 demonstrators were arrested by Turkish police on Friday as they tried to gather in prohibited zones during International Workers’ Day activities.
Each year, events commemorating International Workers’ Day in Turkey — recognized as a public holiday — often result in confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement. Officials have banned protests in Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, citing safety concerns related to the tragic events of May 1, 1977, when over 30 individuals lost their lives during violent incidents at the location.
Throughout Friday, small clusters of demonstrators repeatedly emerged around the restricted Taksim Square area, working to break through police barriers while displaying labor union signs and demanding access to the square.
The primary assembly location shifted to the Mecidiyekoy neighborhood, where law enforcement used water cannons and pepper spray against hundreds of participants before making arrests.
These arrests occurred just one day after Turkey’s highest Constitutional Court determined that three individuals who spent 58 days in custody during 2024’s May Day events had their constitutional right to peaceful demonstration violated, establishing a legal precedent for future May Day gatherings.
Istanbul’s governor’s office defended the actions, stating that citizens had received advance notice about security measures. “Certain marginal groups dismissed the precautions, and clashed with police officers as they do every year,” officials said, reporting that 575 individuals were in custody by 6 p.m. on Friday.
