Reuters. Turkish police scuffled with May Day protesters in Istanbul on Thursday (May 1), forcefully detaining some of them and dragging them away to buses.
Protests were called around Istanbul by unions and NGOs for May Day. The groups aimed to march to Taksim Square, where all protests are banned.
Police blocked the groups gathered in Istanbul's central Besiktas and Sisli areas, pushing back and scuffling with protesters who attempted to break through the police barricades to walk to Taksim despite the ban.
Protests are held in Istanbul and around Turkey every year to mark International Labour Day. Protests in Istanbul are often centred on Taksim Square, where 34 people were killed during demonstrations on May 1, 1977.
