Police Detain 34, Beat Protestors

Police use truncheons and pepper-gas on May Day group, detentions accompanied by beatings. 34 in custody in Istanbul while nation-wide arrests reportedly number over 80. Unionists lay carnation at Taksim Square in memory of 37 protesters killed in 1977.

İstanbul

Police in Istanbul detained 34 protestors for staging an unauthorised demonstration at the city's central Taksim Square after using pepper gas and truncheons to disperse the group, which attempted to hold a press conference there.

Members of the group "Unity for Struggle" Mucadele Birligi were beaten on the spot after which those held by the police were forced into a security bus. Video recordings of the incident showed police officers continuing to beat the demonstrators with truncheons inside of the bus.

In a separate incident on the Anatolian side of the city, fights broke out between pro-Kurdish demonstrators chanting slogans in favour of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan and a leftwing group chanting "long live the brotherhood of the people". Footage of the incident showed members of opposing groups using flagpoles, sticks and fists.

While no major incident was reported in May Day celebrations around the country, the total number of detained demonstrators is reported to be over 80 with more than 50 placed under custody in the eastern city of Elazig.

Those massacred commemorated

May Day celebrations held at Istanbul's Taksim square started off with a commemoration of the 1977 "massacre" where 37 protestors were killed in the same square during an armed police intervention.

Workers Unions Confederation of Turkey (Turk-Is), Revolutionary Workers Unions Confederation (DISK) and Public Workers Unions Confederation (KESK) members together with unionists and representatives of non-governmental organizations marched to the Kazanci Hill.

Making a speech on behalf of the group here, DISK chairman Suleyman Celebi said May Day was "a day of unity, struggle and solidarity for workers".

Celebi said the all earned rights were being stripped away from the working class one by one and stressed the importance of workers combining their efforts in a mutual struggle.

The DISK chairman recalled that those responsible for the killing of 37 protestors in 1977 were still not uncovered and declared that marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, they wanted to hold the May Day meeting in Istanbul's Taksim square once again.

He criticised Turkey for still not declaring the 1st of May as a public holiday and said that although the Parliament had passed the new Social Security Law, they would be holding a meeting with the President on May 2 and requesting him to veto that bill. "We will continue our struggle against this law" he said.

Following Celebi's speech, those in the group laid carnations at the Kazanci Hill where protesters fell in 1977 and the commemoration ended without any incident. (KO/TK/II/YE)