Turkey police detain dozens of protestors in May Day demonstrations

Turkish riot police detained dozens of protesters trying to reach Istanbul’s main Taksim Square for May Day demonstrations against economic hardship caused by raging inflation.

The Istanbul governor’s office had allowed May Day celebrations to be held in another district and deemed gatherings in all other locations as unauthorized and illegal.

A Reuters journalist saw riot police brawling with and handcuffing protesters, images of which were shown on television by domestic broadcasters.

Police also detained 30 people in central Besiktas and 22 others in Sisli districts, the Demiroren News Agency reported.

A statement from the Istanbul governor’s office on Sunday said that 164 protesters had been detained across the city for “attempting to hold illegal demonstrations.”

#MayDay scenes from Istanbul: Police violently detain demonstrators as they try to reach central Taksim Square in defiance of a protest ban there.
In Turkey, May Day traditionally brings critics of the government out on the streets and regularly provokes police crackdowns. #1M22 https://t.co/Nq1Zy8bAoA

— Julia Hahn (@juliahahntv) May 1, 2022

Marches led by workers and unions are held on May 1 every year as part of International Labor Day celebrations in many countries.

Turkey’s annual inflation rate is expected to rise to 68 percent in April, driven higher by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising commodity prices, receding only slightly by the end of the year, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

Turkish riot police officers arrest protesters during the annual May Day (Labour Day) demonstration marking the international day of the workers near Taksim square in Istanbul, on May 1, 2022.#1Mayıs #Taksim #MayDay2022 pic.twitter.com/mhY37lBA1M

— Bulent KILIC (@Kilicbil) May 1, 2022

The soaring inflation and the economic hardship it causes were cited in May Day statements from several groups.

“Our main theme this year had to be cost of living,” the head of the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Turk-Is), Ergun Atalay, said as he placed a wreath in Taksim Square and demanded that minimum wages be adjusted monthly to reflect rising prices.

“Inflation is announced at the beginning of each month. The inflation rate should be added to wages every month,” he said.