A total of 419 people were detained in İstanbul during May Day demonstrations, according to a report released by the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD).

The detentions came amid a heavy police presence and widespread security measures that effectively shut down access to Taksim Square, a traditional gathering point for labor protests.

The ÇHD stated that the detainees included 10 minors and 11 lawyers. Most were released shortly after but 36 people remained in custody overnight. Some of those still in custody were expected to be referred to the İstanbul Courthouse.

The detainees were held in various locations across the city: 166 at Gayrettepe Police Department, 235 at İstanbul Police Headquarters, and 9 at the Şişli Police Department.

The police crackdown targeted groups attempting to reach Taksim in defiance of government restrictions. For years, access to the square has been limited on May Day, with only small symbolic gatherings permitted, while larger demonstrations have been blocked by law enforcement.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that 13 unions involving 817 participants were allowed in the square to lay wreaths to the Republic Monument to commemorate those who lost their lives in the "Bloody May Day" of 1977.

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The minister provided slightly different figures regarding detentions, stating that 409 individuals had been taken into custody during the protests. All but two of them were in İstanbul and one person was detained in each of the provinces of Tokat and Van. Yerlikaya attributed the detentions to alleged violation of Law No. 2911 on Gatherings and Demonstrations.

The minister further said that a total of 212 events were held across 78 provinces to mark May Day, drawing over  286,000 participants. Some 122,777 police officers were deployed across the country to ensure security. İn İstanbul, a permitted event took place in the Anatolian-side district of Kadıköy, where thousands participated.

Why people want to march to Taksim

Taksim Square and the adjacent İstiklal Avenue, among İstanbul’s main tourist hubs, have long been central to social movements in Turkey, leftist and otherwise, and a flashpoint for May Day tensions.

In 1977, during a massive May Day rally in Taksim Square, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the crowd, triggering a stampede that left 34 people dead. The event became known as “Bloody May Day.”

After the 1980 military coup, authorities banned May Day celebrations in Taksim, sparking annual confrontations between police and protesters attempting to reclaim the square. A brief period of official tolerance followed under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which legalized rallies in Taksim from 2010 to 2012.

However, the square was once again closed off in subsequent years. Currently, only small delegations are permitted to enter the square to lay carnations in memory of those killed in 1977. (VK)