Police clashed with May Day demonstrators in Istanbul as crowds, determined to defy a government ban, tried to march to the city's iconic Taksim Square, the site of many widespread protests.
Security forces pushed back demonstrators using water cannons and tear gas. Protesters retaliated by throwing stones and hurling firecrackers at police.
A video posted by Zeynep Denizel (@zeynepdenizel) on May 1, 2015 at 2:41am PDT
Authorities have blocked the square that is symbolic as the center of protests in which 34 people were killed in 1977.
Turkish newswires say that 10,000 police officers were stationed around the square Friday.
#1mayıs #bomonti #şişli #polis #eylemci #bibergazı özlemiştik. A video posted by @mia_burcud4 on May 1, 2015 at 2:04am PDT
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Saat 12.00 - #OkmeydanıDireniyor #1M15 #1Mayıs için toplanan kitleye polis saldırısı sürüyor. Direnişçiler sapan ve havai fişeklerle cevap veriyor. Kazım KizilPosted by Kazım Kızıl on Friday, May 1, 2015
The demonstrations are the first large-scale protests since the government passed a security bill this year giving police expanded powers to crack down on protesters.
The protest in Istanbul on Friday were among many around the world. Left-wing and trade union staged rallies across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to mark International Workers Day.