165 People Detained During May 1
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According to Doğan News Agency, 165 people who wanted to march to the Taksim Square were detained during May 1 Workers' Day.
May 1 Crisis Desk/Legal Support and Solidarity Line, which was formed by five attorneys in İstanbul, issued a statement regarding the information they received.
The attorneys declared that 156 people were detained as of 2:45 p.m. on İstiklal Street, in Beşiktaş, Talimhane, Gayrettepe, Zincirlikuyu, and Okmeydanı.
Three of the detainees were lawyers.
Following organizations are included in the May 1 Crisis Desk/Legal Support and Solidarity Line: Group of Progressive Attorneys (ÇAĞ), Progressive Legists’ Association İstanbul Branch, Participatory Lawyers, İstanbul Libertarian Legists Platform, and Libertarian Democrat Lawyers.
Two of the detainees were released by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace, and two others were released from the police station.
No judge could be found in the court
The organization, which made a call to rally at the Taksim Square on May 1 Workers’ Day, gathered in Zincirlikuyu and announced that they would march towards Taksim. However, police intervened in the protesters in Beşiktaş and Zincirlikuyu on the streets leading to the Taksim Square.
The people who tried to reach Taksim were prevented by force, and the detainees were kept in police vehicles for hours, the May 1 Crisis Desk stated.
The statement added that some injuries caused by plastic bullets were found on the detainees’ bodies.
The attorneys stated that they wanted to meet with Criminal Judge of Peace on Duty to discuss the release of the detainees but there were no judges on duty in the court, and that they took the minutes about that.
May 1 and Taksim
May 1 was celebrated in Turkey for the first time in 1906.
In 1977, fire was opened during May 1 celebrations at the Takim Square, killing 34 people. The event passed into history as "Bloody May ".
In 1979, May celebrations were banned in İstanbul and curfew was declared.
In 1989, a group of 2,000 people attempting to march towards Taksim on İstikal Street were dispersed by the police. A young man named Mehmet Akif Dalcı was shot to death during the incidents.
In 2009, over 5,000 people celebrated May 1 at the Taksim Square. Even though the governorship declared that no pepper gas would be used, police intervened in the demonstrators with pepper gas.
In 2010, the Taksim Square was opened to "demonstrations" after 32 years.
In 2013, the police attacked the groups that wanted to go to the Taksim Square. The celebrations were held following a police intervention that lasted seven hours. The police attacked that celebrations as well.
In 2014 and 2015, the Taksim Square was closed to May 1 celebrations. The groups rallying in Beşiktaş and Şişli confronted police attack. (AS/TK)