Defiant May Day march in Istanbul met with force
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Turkish police detained around 400 people as they attempted to march toward Istanbul’s Taksim Square to mark International Labors’ Day.
More than 50,000 police officers were deployed across the city, with security forces blocking access to central districts and effectively paralyzing parts of Istanbul to prevent demonstrations in the iconic square.
Police clashed with groups of protesters in several neighborhoods, dragging many into buses after detaining them. Footage from the scene showed riot police scuffling with demonstrators who chanted slogans and held banners.
Demonstrators attempting to reach the square were met with force as police moved quickly to disperse gatherings. Authorities have barred protests in Taksim Square for years, citing security concerns.
The protests had been called by trade unions and civil society groups, amid heightened tensions over the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading political rival of President Tayyip Erdoğan.
İmamoğlu, who faces corruption and terrorism-related charges widely seen as politically motivated, posted from prison on X, “The days of bans and repression are very near their end.”
May Day rallies are held annually across Turkiye but have frequently been met with a heavy security response.
Sonunda ağzındaki baklayı çıkarmışsın! Ülkenin Cumhurbaşkanı olduğunu unutup açıkça bir cumhurbaşkanı adayını “telef” etmekle tehdit etmişsin. Beni değil on milyonlarca seçmeni, milleti tehdit ediyorsun. Aziz Milletim! Cumhurbaşkanının “telef oldunuz”, “telef olacaksınız”…
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) May 1, 2025
