Overview
- Authorities reported 575 detentions after police blocked off protest routes and used water cannons, pepper spray, and mass roundups in central Istanbul.
- Access to Taksim Square was sealed, and small groups tried to breach police lines with union banners as officers enforced the no-protest zone.
- Reporters on the ground saw tear gas used in Mecidiyekoy and arrests in Besiktas, where officers encircled streets and forced protesters to the ground.
- The detention count rose over the day, with local media first noting dozens and the governor’s office later announcing hundreds in custody.
- Days earlier, officials issued warrants for 62 people, including journalists and union figures, and a top court ruling on 2024 May Day detentions found a violation of the right to peaceful assembly.