Istanbul police arrested eleven members of the Labour Movement Party (Emekçi Hareket Partisi, EHP) while reading a press statement on the International Workers’ Day. Among those arrested is the party spokeswoman Özge Akman. The police justified the arrest of the activists by saying that no permission had been obtained from the governor's office for the public press release. However, this regulation excludes political parties according to the law.

The meeting of EHP members in the district of Şişli had begun with a minute's silence for the victims of the police attack on the Istanbul 1 May demonstration in 1977. Afterwards, the activists chanted the slogan "Long live May Day". Immediately afterwards, the police assault took place. Some of the officers generously violated the rules of Coronavirus emergency and did not wear face masks or gloves. 

Taksim massacre

According to official figures, 37 people were killed by Turkish security forces during the massacre on 1 May 1977 in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Around 200 demonstrators were injured, and over 500 people were arrested. 1 May 1977 marks a turning point in the history of the labor movement in Turkey. Well over 500,000 people took part in the May Day demonstration. Many of them had not even entered the square when the first shots were fired. Then the security forces attacked with armoured vehicles. They fired gas grenades and used water cannons. The number of victims is still a controversial issue.

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