Turkish police fired rubber bullets at protesters near Istanbul’s city hall in the Sarachane district challenging a government ban on May 1 rallies at the capital’s historic Taksim Square.
Contrary to the practice, the closure of Taksim Square for protests was ruled as a violation of rights by the country’s top constitutional court in 2023.
„Taksim is an important symbol for us. Taksim means May Day, Taksim means labour,“ Arzu Cerkezoglu, Secretary General of Turkey’s most prominent workers‘ union, DISK, told AFP.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced 210 people were detained.