Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Numerous individuals have been **detained** in Istanbul as **law enforcement** agencies deployed 50,000 officers across the city to **counter** May Day rallies.
To **thwart** the arrival of protesters, public transportation was halted, preventing crowds from reaching Taksim Square, where demonstrations have been **prohibited** since 2013.
Video evidence from Turkey’s main metropolis showcased skirmishes between **riot squads** and **activists**, with protesters shouting slogans as police **compulsorily** loaded detainees onto buses.
The city witnessed massive protests in March following the imprisonment of opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s **primary political rival**.
International Labour Day **Markings**
On May 1 annually, processions spearheaded by labor unions commemorate International Labour Day in various nations.
**Security** was **tightened** around Taksim Square, Istanbul’s hub, with police **blockading** all access roads and setting up metal barriers.
Authorities were resolute, possibly this year more than in previous years to **prevent** large-scale protests at the square, with ample riot police on standby.
The square, usually teeming with lively crowds, appeared deserted with restaurants and shops shuttered.
Access past the police lines was restricted, with a handful of labor unions briefly granted entry to Taksim, carrying red banners and flowers.
Standing before the Republic Monument, which commemorates the establishment of modern Turkey in 1923, one speaker expressed grievances about the imposed limitations.
Water **cannon** trucks were stationed a short distance away.
On the roads leading to the square, tourists occasionally walked by, dragging suitcases and uncertain of their directions, unable to **hail** taxis.
**Authorities’ Response** to Demonstrations
The square was **quarantined** for several days leading up to May 1.
A student named Murat stated that streets had been “**barricaded**… as if it’s a state of emergency.”
“We weren’t permitted into the squares… We were **rounded up** from the streets in small groups under brutal tactics. This isn’t a situation new to us. It probably won’t be the last,” Murat added.
On Wednesday, 100 individuals were held for allegedly planning unauthorized protests at the square.
The city’s authorities reported on Thursday that 382 people had been arrested for “unauthorized gatherings.”
**Global Rights Body** Calls for **Lift** on Demo Ban
Rights organization Amnesty International has urged Turkey to **revoke** the prohibition on demonstrations in Taksim.
The **restraints** “are based on entirely **fabricated** security and public order explanations,” stated Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s specialist on Europe.
In a statement, the group implored officials to honor the right to protest, **warning** against the use of force against peaceful activists
Ekrem Imamoglu’s **Imprisonment** Sparks **Massive Rallies**
Ekrem Imamoglu’s imprisonment in March ignited large-scale protests on Istanbul’s streets as hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy advocates rallied in support of the city’s mayor. Imamoglu faces corruption charges which he vehemently denies.
Imamoglu maintains that his arrest is politically motivated, while the government denies this, asserting that the courts are entirely autonomous.
Mayor since 2019, Imamoglu is widely recognized as the only politician capable of challenging Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election. His **confirmation** as the opposition party’s candidate came while he was in detention.
Erdogan has held power for over two decades, initially serving as prime minister, then transitioning to the presidency in 2014. He is ineligible to run again post-2028 **unless constitutional changes** are made.