US EditionTurkish Police Fire Tear Gas, Arrest Hundreds at Istanbul May Day Rallies
Police used tear gas, water cannons and barricades as unions and civil society groups rallied over wages and inflation, with more than 500 arrests reported.
- On Friday, Turkish police detained nearly 570 people during May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, employing tear gas and metal barricades to seal off central Taksim Square, the CHD Lawyers Association reported.
- Authorities sealed off Taksim Square to prevent protests, a recurring yearly measure in Turkey amid economic strain; independent estimates place inflation closer to 40 per cent, higher than the official 30 per cent.
- Police used tear gas against Marxist People's Liberation Party members chanting, "USA murderer, AKP accomplice," while images showed Turkish Workers' Party president Erkan Bas engulfed in pepper spray.
- Union official Basaran Aksu was arrested after denouncing the Taksim lockdown, fuming, "You can't close off a square to the workers of Turkey. Only the labourers, the workers, the poor find the square closed to them."
- Earlier this week, Turkish authorities issued warrants for 62 people, deeming 46 including journalists and opposition figures "likely to carry out attacks," while in Ankara, about 100 coal miners joined the May Day march.
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In the European cities of Istanbul and Turin, there were clashes between the police and demonstrators on May 1st. There were arrests and injuries. The Turkish police fought in Istanbul with demonstrators who wanted to march to the famous Taksim Square on May 1st. Previously, the authorities had banned meetings in this area. The local lawyer association CHD estimated the number of arrested on over 300. Access roads blockedThe riot police used tea…
Turkish police fire tear gas, arrest hundreds at May Day rally
NewsFeedTurkish authorities violently crackdown on May Day demonstrations at Istanbul’s Taksim Square, firing tear gas from riot-control vehicles into the crowd. A Turkish legal organisation says at least 370 people were arrested on Friday.Published On 1 May 20261 May 2026Click here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source The post Turkish police fire tear gas, a…
Among those arrested are opposition representatives, trade union activists and journalists.
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