Nearly 400 detained as Turkish police clamp down on May Day protests

Turkish police detained nearly 400 people on Thursday as authorities moved to suppress May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, deploying more than 50,000 officers across the city in one of the largest security mobilizations in recent years, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Large portions of Turkey’s largest city were brought to a standstill after the government shut down metro, bus, and ferry lines in advance of the annual labor holiday. The restrictions appeared aimed at preventing protesters from reaching Taksim Square, the symbolic center of past May Day rallies that has been off-limits to demonstrations since 2013.

According to the Istanbul branch of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (CHD), "the number of arrests that have been reported to us exceeds 400." A subsequent statement from city officials confirmed that 382 people were taken into custody for participating in unauthorized gatherings.

The crackdown comes amid escalating political tensions between the government and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), following the recent detention of Istanbul mayor and presidential hopeful Ekrem Imamoglu — widely regarded as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent challenger.

AFP reported dozens of individuals detained in neighborhoods on Istanbul’s European side. Meanwhile, several thousand people gathered in permitted demonstrations organized by labor unions on the city’s Asian side, which proceeded without incident.

“They blocked all the streets, as if it’s a state of emergency,” said Murat, a university student who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It shows the government is scared.”

Amnesty International had called on Turkish authorities the day before to lift the long-standing ban on Taksim protests. “The restrictions on May Day celebrations in Taksim Square are based on entirely spurious security and public order grounds and... must be urgently lifted,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, the organization’s Europe director.

As in previous years, Taksim Square was barricaded days in advance, with metal fencing and police cordons sealing off the area. The government has cited security concerns for the continued prohibition, despite mounting criticism from rights groups and the opposition.