ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Police in Istanbul fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a group of May Day demonstrators on Monday, a Reuters witness said, as authorities detained more than 200 people at protests around the city.

Protests for May Day, the international workers’ holiday, are an annual occurrence in Turkey and have in the past been characterized by widespread police actions against demonstrators.

Protests were expected to be more subdued this year after unions said they would not attempt to march on Taksim Square, a traditional rallying point for anti-government protests that has been declared off-limits for demonstrators.

Police presence was heavy across the city, with helicopters buzzing overhead. Tensions are particularly high after President Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum last month giving him sweeping new powers.

Police in the Mecidiyekoy neighborhood used tear gas and rubber bullets on a group of protesters who were attempting to march toward Taksim Square. They were shouting “Taksim is ours and it will remain ours”.

The square became the focal point for weeks of anti-Erdogan demonstrations in 2013. Two demonstrators who managed to reach it were detained shortly after they unfurled a banner, Dogan news agency said.

In the Besiktas neighborhood, where two years ago police used water cannon on stone-throwing May Day demonstrators, dozens of people were rounded up for attempting to make their way to Taksim.

“A total of 207 people have been detained,” the Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement, adding that some 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and 176 fireworks had been confiscated. Illegal posters were also seized, it said.

Rights groups and some of Turkey’s Western allies say Ankara has sharply curtailed freedom of speech and other basic rights in the crackdown that followed a failed coup last year.

Since his referendum win, Erdogan has conducted two further purges, targeting the police, civil service and military.

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Over the weekend, 3,900 people were removed from the civil service and the armed forces, while authorities blocked access to online encyclopedia Wikipedia, citing a law allowing the banning of access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security.

Erdogan says the measures are necessary given the security threats faced by Turkey.

(This version of the story has been refiled to add additional news topic code, no change to text)</s>Dozens detained as May Day marches turn violent in Istanbul

Dozens were detained by police in Istanbul on Monday after clashes broke out between demonstrators and authorities during May Day protests in the Turkish metropolis, a report said. It said that police deployed tear gas in the Mecediyekoy district of the city after clashes with protesters who were trying to reach Taksim Square, which was…

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>Dozens detained as May Day marches turn violent in Istanbul

Dozens were detained by police in Istanbul on Monday after clashes broke out between demonstrators and authorities during May Day protests in the Turkish metropolis, a report said. It said that police deployed tear gas in the Mecediyekoy district of the city after clashes with protesters who were trying to reach Taksim Square, which was…

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>PanARMENIAN.Net – Police in Istanbul fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a group of May Day demonstrators on Monday, May1 a Reuters witness said, as authorities detained more than 200 people at protests around the city.

Protests for May Day, the international workers’ holiday, are an annual occurrence in Turkey and have in the past been characterized by widespread police actions against demonstrators, Reuters says.

Protests were expected to be more subdued this year after unions said they would not attempt to march on Taksim Square, a traditional rallying point for anti-government protests that has been declared off-limits for demonstrators.

Police presence was heavy across the city, with helicopters buzzing overhead. Tensions are particularly high after President Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum last month giving him sweeping new powers.

Police in the Mecidiyekoy neighborhood used tear gas and rubber bullets on a group of protesters who were attempting to march toward Taksim Square. They were shouting “Taksim is ours and it will remain ours”.</s>Protests for May Day, the international workers' holiday, are an annual occurrence in Turkey and have in the past been characterised by widespread police actions against demonstrators. Protests were expected to be more subdued this year after unions said they would not attempt to march on Taksim Square, a traditional rallying point for anti-government protests that has been declared off-limits for demonstrators. Police presence was heavy across the city, with helicopters buzzing overhead. Tensions are particularly high after President Tayyip Erdogan narrowly won a referendum last month giving him sweeping new powers.

Police in the Mecidiyekoy neighbourhood used tear gas and rubber bullets on a group of protesters who were attempting to march towards Taksim Square. They were shouting "Taksim is ours and it will remain ours". The square became the focal point for weeks of anti-Erdogan demonstrations in 2013.

Two demonstrators who managed to reach it were detained shortly after they unfurled a banner, Dogan news agency said. In the Besiktas neighbourhood, where two years ago police used water cannon on stone-throwing May Day demonstrators, dozens of people were rounded up for attempting to make their way to Taksim. The Istanbul governor's office said in a statement: "A total of 207 people have been detained."

The statement added that some 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and 176 fireworks had been confiscated. Illegal posters were also seized, it said. Rights groups and some of Turkey's Western allies say Ankara has sharply curtailed freedom of speech and other basic rights in the crackdown that followed a failed coup last year.</s>Turkey police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at May Day demonstrators in Istanbul (Reuters)</s>ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish police on Monday fired tear gas and plastic bullets at protesters seeking to march to Istanbul’s Taksim Square to celebrate May Day, in defiance of an official ban.

Authorities said more than 200 people were detained for “illegal” protests in the city and using May Day celebrations as a “pretext.”

Police tried to stop around 200 protesters in the Gayrettepe district on the European side of Istanbul who wanted to walk to the famous Taksim square in spite of the ban by city authorities, an AFP journalist said.

The protesters — made up of left-wing groups — unfurled anti-government banners against the result of the April 16 referendum, which handed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expanded powers.

“Long Live May Day, No to dictator!” the banners read.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on any demonstration at Taksim Square, with police sealing off the avenue with barricades and halting traffic.

Among those detained were two women who attempted to penetrate the ban and unfurl banners at the square, the private Dogan news agency reported.

In a statement, Istanbul governor’s office said some illegal groups sought to rally around Taksim Square and elsewhere in the city by using May Day celebrations as a “pretext,” adding that a total of 207 people were detained.

Police had also seized 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades, 176 fireworks and seven masks.

And one citizen was killed in an accident when a TOMA, an armored water cannon truck designed for riot control, was doing maneuvering, it said.

Some 30,000 police were on duty in Istanbul alone, with the governor’s office urging citizens not to heed calls for protests in non-official areas.

Police checked tourists and citizens passing through Taksim and all streets leading to the square were cordoned off with iron barricades.

Metro lines did not stop at Taksim Square, which was a rallying ground for May Day celebrations until 1977, when at least 34 people were killed during demonstrations.

Authorities later opened up the square for celebrations in 2010, but it was shut down again after it played host to anti-government protests in 2013 targeting Erdogan, then prime minister.

“Our people were massacred on May Day in 1977, workers were massacred,” a protester who gave her name as Sevim told AFP.

“We are going to Taksim Square because it is a meaningful place for the working class,” she said shortly before the police intervention in Gayrettepe.

This year’s May Day celebrations also come after the ‘Yes’ camp won last month’s referendum with 51.41 percent of the vote against 48.59% for the ‘No’ camp.

The opposition have alleged major irregularities but its complaints were thrown out by the election commission and a top court.

Yunus Ozgur, another demonstrator, said he wanted to march to Taksim Square to protest “irregularities” during the referendum.

“We are frustrated,” he said. “Taksim has a political meaning. They (authorities) are scared of this. Taksim is ours.”

In the meantime, several thousand people and unions attended celebrations in an officially sanctioned rally in the Bakirkoy district near the international airport on the city’s western side.

In Ankara, at least 6,000 people demonstrated for May Day and against the referendum result, holding large letters spelling out “Hayir” meaning “No” in Turkish, an AFP photographer said.

Earlier in the day, up to 60 people commemorated the 103 people killed outside the train station in Turkey’s worst terror attack in October 2015.</s>ISTANBUL: Turkish police on Monday (May 1) fired tear gas and plastic bullets at protesters seeking to march to Istanbul's Taksim Square to celebrate May Day, in defiance of an official ban.

Istanbul police authorities said on Monday they arrested 165 people in connection with the protests, including 139 people for "unauthorised marches".

Police tried to stop around 200 protesters in the Gayrettepe district on the European side of Istanbul who wanted to walk to the famous Taksim square in spite of the ban by city authorities, an AFP journalist said.

The protesters - made up of left-wing groups - unfurled anti-government banners against the result of the April 16 referendum, which handed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expanded powers.

"Long Live May Day, No to dictator!" the banners read.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on any demonstration at Taksim square, with police sealing off the avenue with barricades and halting traffic.

Among those detained were two women who attempted to penetrate the ban and unfurl banners at the square, the private Dogan news agency reported.

In a statement, the Istanbul police headquarters said 17 people who tried to open banners were among those detained.

Police had also seized 85 Molotov cocktails, 95 paint-filled bottles, 25 fireworks and several masks on Sunday and Monday in Istanbul.

In the meantime, several thousand people and unions attended celebrations in an officially sanctioned rally in the Bakirkoy district near the international airport on the city's western side.

Some 30,000 police were on duty in Istanbul alone, with the governor's office urging citizens not to heed calls for protests in non-official areas.

Police checked tourists and citizens passing through Taksim and all streets leading to the square were cordoned off with iron barricades.

Metro lines did not stop at Taksim square, which was a rallying ground for May Day celebrations until 1977, when at least 34 people were killed during demonstrations.

Authorities later opened up the square for celebrations in 2010 but it was shut down again after it played host to anti-government protests in 2013 targeting Erdogan, then prime minister.

"Our people were massacred on May Day in 1977, workers were massacred," a protester who gave her name as Sevim told AFP.

"We are going to Taksim square because it is a meaningful place for the working class," she said shortly before the police intervention in Gayrettepe.

This year's May Day celebrations also come after the 'Yes' camp won last month's referendum with 51.41 per cent of the vote against 48.59 per cent for the 'No' camp.

The opposition have alleged major irregularities but its complaints were thrown out by the election commission and a top court.

Yunus Ozgur, another demonstrator, said he wanted to march to Taksim square to protest "irregularities" during the referendum. "We are frustrated," he said. "Taksim has a political meaning. They (authorities) are scared of this. Taksim is ours."

In Ankara, at least 6,000 people demonstrated for May Day and against the referendum result, holding large letters spelling out "Hayir" meaning "No" in Turkish, an AFP photographer said. Some held banners saying: "No means no".

Earlier in the day, up to 60 people commemorated the 103 people killed outside the train station in Turkey's worst terror attack in October 2015.</s>Plainclothes police officers detain a protester as he and others attempted to defy a ban and march on Taksim Square to celebrate May Day, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 1, 2017. Plainclothes police officers detain a protester as he and others attempted to defy a ban and march on Taksim Square to celebrate May Day, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 1, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Reuters.</s>Police fire tear gas to disperse May Day protests in Istanbul

Turkish police on Monday used tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse protesters seeking to defy a ban and march to Istanbul’s Taksim square to celebrate May Day, an AFP journalist reported.

Police tried to stop around 200 protesters in the Gayrettepe district on the European side of Istanbul who wanted to walk to the famous square in spite of the ban by city authorities.

The protesters — made up of left-wing groups — unfurled anti-government banners against the result of the April 16 referendum, which handed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expanded powers.

“Long Live May Day, No to dictator!” the banners read. At least one protester was detained, according to the AFP journalist.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on any demonstration at Taksim square, with police sealing off the avenue with barricades and halting traffic.

Police detained two women who attempted to unfurl banners at the square, the private Dogan news agency reported.

At least 13 people who attempted to defy the ban on Taksim were detained, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Members of the group were wearing May Day T-shirts and chanting slogans: “No to Taksim ban.”

In the secular Istanbul district of Besiktas, at least 60 protesters were detained, an AFP photographer reported.

– 30,000 police in charge –

 Some 30,000 police were on duty in Istanbul alone, with the governor’s office urging citizens not to heed calls for protests in non-official areas.

Police checked tourists and citizens passing through Taksim and all streets leading to the square were cordoned off with iron barricades.

Metro lines did not stop at Taksim square, which was a rallying ground for May Day celebrations until 1977, when at least 34 people were killed during demonstrations.

Authorities later opened up the square for celebrations but it was shut down again after it played host to anti-government protests in 2013 targeting Erdogan, then prime minister.

“Our people were massacred on May Day in 1977, workers were massacred,” a women protester who gave her name as Sevim told AFP.

“We are going to Taksim square because it is a meaningful place for the working class,” she said shortly before the police intervention in Gayrettepe.

This year’s May Day celebrations also come after the ‘Yes’ camp won last month’s referendum with 51.41 percent of the vote against 48.59 percent for the ‘No’ camp.

The opposition have alleged major irregularities but its complaints were thrown out by the election commission and a top court.

Yunus Ozgur, another demonstrator, said he wanted to march to Taksim square to protest “irregularities” during the referendum.

“We are frustrated,” he said. “Taksim has a political meaning. They (authorities) are scared of this. Taksim is ours.”

In the meantime, several thousand people and unions attended celebrations in an officially sanctioned rally in the Bakirkoy district near the international airport on the city’s western side.

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Turkish police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators marching to Taksim Square. Over 200 people are arrested at protests around the city of Istanbul.