1 May 2009

After tensions before Labour Day and disagreements between trade union confederations and the local authorities, a crowd of more than 5,000 people gathered in Taksim Square on May Day.

Representatives of the DİSK and KESK trade union confederations, the Union of Turkish Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), international labour organisations, socialist and feminist groups gathered in the square. MPs from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) were also in the square.

Commemoration of 1977

For the first time in years, the 1 May March was sung in the square. The 36 people killed in Taksim Square on “Bloody 1 May” in 1977 were remembered with a moment of silence.

DİSK president Süleyman Çelebi welcomed the crowd from a confederation bus. He said that 1 May had again become a public holiday because of the struggle of workers, and that they would continue their struggle for peace and democracy.

KESK president Sami Evren criticised the government for the rise in unemployment and the price increases. He also criticised the Türk-İş trade union confederation, which had decided to celebrate in Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul.

At 1.30 pm, the organisational committee announced the end of the celebrations.

Police interventions

During the speeches, the police prevented people coming from side streets from joining the crowd by using tear gas and truncheons.

At around 1.40 pm,  a group of around 300 riot police officers with tanks started to try and disperse people in Taksim by using water cannons. Police officers also tried to make people drinking tea in a cafe in Cihangir, the neighbourhood below Taksim, get up. Later they withdrew.

Police violence

From bianet’s office, we could witness plain clothes police officers beating a group of around 10 young men who were shouting “Long live Labour Day” and waving at people watching them from windows. More than 10 plain clothes police officers started beating three of the young men with truncheons, slapping and kicking them. They swore at them at put them in handcuffs.

When uniformed police came, they told the plain clothes colleagues not to beat the young men.

The police frequently used tear gas to prevent other groups from joining the main group marching to Taksim Square. The confederation presidents protested against the use of gas, saying that the governor had promised not to use it.

The police prevented the educational trade union Eğitim-Sen from joining the group marching to Taksim.

Güler and Cerrah

Joining a live programme on NTV, governor Muammer Güler said that tear gas was being used as a “last resort” and only in a few places.

When Istanbul Chief of Police Celalettin Cerrah passed Osmanbey, a neighbourhood near Taksim where the demonstration was passing, the crowd booed, shouted “Murderer Cerrah”, and threw bottles and placard sticks.

Activists hung a placard from the Marmara Hotel in Taksim Square, from which shots had been fired and killed people in 1977. The placard called for the perpetrators to be found.

In the morning, referring to the demand by the governor that only a “reasonable number” of representatives walk to Taksim, Çelebi had said that he would not discuss the numbers. “Today the police should also celebrate, no one should use violence.”

Evren had said, “1 May is a holiday. We are not gathering for a demonstration. Everyone who has come here to celebrate is part of a ‘reasonable number of people’.”

Some people who came to the meeting place early were taken into custody by the police. Some youth organisations who tried to reach the meeting places from Kurtuluş Street were met with tear gas and water cannons. Some people vomited as a result of the tear gas. In Kurtuluş, the police also fired warning shots into the air. Around 40 people were taken into custody from two buses in the area.

The police also threw tear gas bombs at a crowd of around 200 people who wanted to get to Osmanbey from Ergenekon Street.

In some streets, protestors threw stones at the police, and shop windows were broken in Kurtuluş.

All roads leading to Taksim and the Cumhuriyet Street going to Taksim were blocked by police barricades. The police did not allow pedestrian traffic in and near Taksim Square.

"Reasonable" number of other confederation representatives

Before the gathering of the DISK and KESK group, a delegation of around 200 Türk-İş representatives had left a wreath in Taksim Square. Then around 500 people from the Hak-İş trade union confederation had come to Taksim.

Ntvmsnbc reports that 108 people were taken into custody, 26 civilians and 21 police officers were injured. (TK/AG)