Violence erupted across Turkey, France, Italy, and Spain on May Day as riot police clashed with protesters in cities from Istanbul to Lyon. Dramatic images showed police charging demonstrators in Istanbul, while in Paris protesters scuffled with officers. In Lyon, crowds were seen marching through tear gas. Clashes also broke out in Turin as police advanced on marches, and thousands gathered for rallies in Barcelona and Madrid.
Turkey: Crackdown in Istanbul
Turkish police fired tear gas and arrested dozens of people holding May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, as thousands rallied nationwide. One man was pictured being wrestled to the ground by a police officer. According to the CHD Lawyers Association, nearly 370 people were arrested in Istanbul, where police fired tear gas from riot-control vehicles into the crowd. Images aired on the opposition channel HALK TV also showed the president of the Turkish Workers' Party, Erkan Bas, engulfed in pepper spray. 'Those in power already speak 365 days a year, so let workers talk about the hardships they face at least one day a year,' he said.
Two groups were specially singled out in the city's European side after signalling their intention to march to Taksim Square, the scene of several anti-government protests in the past, which was sealed off overnight by police. A union official, Basaran Aksu, was arrested just after he had denounced the Taksim lockdown. 'You can't close off a square to the workers of Turkey. Everyone uses Taksim, for official ceremonies, for celebrations. Only the labourers, the workers, the poor find the square closed to them,' he fumed.
May 1, which celebrates workers and the working classes, sees a major police deployment in Turkey every year, with a large area in the heart of Istanbul around Taksim Square sealed off. Last year, protests moved to the Kadikoy area of the city and more than 400 people were arrested. On Friday, a large deployment of police, many in riot gear, and metal barricades were seen choking access to central neighbourhoods of Istanbul. In the Mecidiyekoy district, police were seen using tear gas on the crowd, which included members of a Marxist party, the HKP, who tried to push through while chanting 'USA murderer, (Turkey's ruling party) AKP accomplice'. Police encircling the Besiktas neighbourhood stepped in, sometimes violently, whenever a chant was taken up by the demonstrators. Reporters saw several protesters thrown to the ground.
Unions and civil society associations had called for the May 1 demonstrations under the slogan 'Bread. Peace. Freedom.' Earlier this week, Turkish authorities issued arrest and search warrants against 62 people, of whom they deemed 46, including journalists, trade unionists and opposition figures, were 'likely to carry out attacks'. The figure was initially at nearly 200 arrests but later rose to at least 370 during Friday's demonstrations in Istanbul, according to the CHD. 'At 2:00pm (1100 GMT), according to our information, the number of people in custody stands at 370,' the CHD association for defending civil rights said on X.
Italy: Clashes in Turin
In Turin, the situation escalated, with clashes between protesters and police after a march moved towards the former Askatasuna social centre. According to Italian media reports, demonstrators attempted to breach a police cordon, striking shields with clubs and spraying the contents of cans towards officers and soldiers, before police responded with water cannon to push them back. The march was led by union banners with the slogan 'Dignified Work' and a banner from the National Association of Italian Partisans.
France: Tear Gas in Lyon
In France, footage showed police in riot gear charging protesters letting off fireworks on Place Bellecour in Lyon, where between 6,500 and 12,000 people took part in demonstrations. Authorities said two people were arrested during the parade. According to Le Progrès, they are accused of 'participating in a gathering with the aim of committing damage' and 'violence (mortar fire) against persons holding public authority'. Pink smoke from flares could be seen in the air as protesters marched through Lyon.
Spain: Rallies in Barcelona and Madrid
Meanwhile in Spain, demonstrators gathered in Barcelona and Madrid for rallies marking International Workers' Day, as crowds took to the streets in a show of solidarity with workers across the country.
