Hundreds of thousands pour onto the streets in the four corners of Turkey to celebrate May Day despite police attacks in certain areas. Workers and parties emphasized their demand for equality and secularism during their marches while commemorating the victims of Turkey’s continuing violence Workers and members of leftist parties and organizations hit the streets […]
Hundreds of thousands pour onto the streets in the four corners of Turkey to celebrate May Day despite police attacks in certain areas. Workers and parties emphasized their demand for equality and secularism during their marches while commemorating the victims of Turkey’s continuing violence
Workers and members of leftist parties and organizations hit the streets on May Day around Turkey in spite of police violence and worries about security following a series of bomb attacks over the last year against left-wing political rallies.
Hundreds of thousands marched at officially permitted rallies in Istanbul and Ankara, although there were other marches in both the east and west of the country.
Tens of thousands packed into Istanbul’s Bakırköy market square after government officials and leading unions agreed on the square for May Day. Members of some organizations, however, insisted on marching to the traditional Istanbul May Day rallying point of Taksim. Police repeatedly attacked groups attempting to reach the square, which is cloaked in symbolism for the Turkish left after ultranationalists killed as many as 37 people during May Day festivities in 1977 at the location.
In addition to firing tear gas, plastic bullets and water cannon, police also detained as many as 169 people, according to the Istanbul Bar Association. The 1 Mayıs Law Platform, however, reported that 139 people had been detained, particularly as they tried to reach Taksim.
One person was killed in Istanbul’s Tarlabaşı neighborhood, near Taksim, after a police water cannon struck a pedestrian. Nail Mavuş, 57, was rushed to nearby Şişli Etfal Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Although the government permitted May Day festivities in Bakırköy, police still fired tear gas at members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as they arrived at a police search point.
“Today we’ve encountered the state’s discriminatory policies one more time,” Sebahat Tuncel, a leading Kurdish politician and former HDP MP, told Sendika.Org, adding that the state was attempting to prevent HDP constituents from joining together with workers.
The HDP will be wherever workers are, Tuncel said.
‘Resistance will lead to a life of dignity’
Issuing a joint statement in Turkish and Kurdish at the end of the celebration in Bakırköy, the organizers said: “Journalists and academics are being arrested. Violence against women is increasing with every passing day. The PM has called the Ensar Foundation [at the center of a child sexual abuse case] as ‘our distinguished organization.’ The parliamentary speaker says, ‘secularism should be removed from the constitution.’ Kurds, Alevis, women – everyone’s an enemy for them. We can only earn a life of dignity through resistance.”
Addressing the crowd, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK) head Kani Beko commemorated all those that had been killed in suicide attacks in Turkey since last summer.
Plainclothes police officers also attacked and handcuffed two Revolutionary Stance (Devrimci Duruş) members behind their back in Mecidiyeköy as they opened a banner that said “Taksim is the square of May Day, it cannot be obstructed.” Police sat on the pair for 15 minutes in the middle of traffic before the two were taken into custody.
Near Taksim, the People’s Houses (Halkevleri) attempted to march on the square, asserting that the government had no right to ban certain areas on May Day.
“Let us commemorate our friends that have fallen in massacres. As we are prevented from protesting these massacres, Turkey becomes a country full of new massacres,” Halkevleri Deputy Chair Samut Karabulut said, noting that the group demanded “equality, freedom and secularism.”
Police attacked the group as soon as it moved to continue its march on Taksim.
May Day marked in Adana despite cancelation
In the southern province of Adana, organizers were forced to cancel May Day celebrations following reports of a bomb threat, but several groups insisted on celebrating the day regardless, announcing plans to postpone festivities until 17.00.
Groups that included the Halkevleri, HDP and other left-wing organizations gathered at 17.00 for a press statement and the celebrations, but were attacked with water cannon. Police later attempted to gain entry to the local Halkevleri branch, but were prevented from doing so.
Ten Halkevleri members were slightly injured in the attack.
Local HDP MP Meral Danış Beştaş criticized the police for attempting to ban all festivities, declaring the security services’ measures “illegal.”
Her efforts resulted in the groups succeeding in issuing a press statement, during which marchers celebrated with slogans.
This year’s May Day celebrations in Ankara were shifted from Sıhhiye Square to Kolej, with all groups highlighting the importance of the 10 October 2015 Ankara Massacre, in which more than 100 protesters were killed in a jihadist attack at a peace rally.
Concerned about safety and worried about possible police collusion with any attackers, Halkevleri and Communist Party (KP) members formed another checkpoint to search newcomers.
There were also May Day rallies in Mersin, Antakya, Dersim, Artvin, Konya, Erzincan, Edremit, İzmir, Uşak, Çorlu, Sivas, Çanakkale, Antalya, Eskişehir, Hakkari, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Sinop, Çorum, Kayseri, Rize, Kocaeli, Denizli, Aydın, Trabzon, Muğla, Bolu, Samsun and elsewhere in the country.,
Sendika.Org
