Overview
- Istanbul authorities reported 575 detentions by 6 p.m. Friday during May Day protests near Taksim Square.
- Police used tear gas, water cannon and pepper spray, with riot units and metal barricades closing routes into central districts.
- Small groups in Mecidiyekoy and Besiktas tried to reach Taksim, including members of the Marxist HKP, before officers forced them back and made arrests.
- Reporters from AFP and AP described repeated attempts to breach the cordon as officers threw some protesters to the ground and dispersed crowds.
- The detentions followed a Constitutional Court decision a day earlier that said 2024 May Day detainees had their right to peaceful assembly violated.
- Earlier in the week, authorities issued warrants for 62 people, labeling 46 as likely threats, as unions pressed to reclaim Taksim as a protest site.