Police Intervention Against DİSK Members Who Want to Take to Taksim for May Day

* Photos: DİSK

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Attempting to march to Taksim Square in Beyoğlu, İstanbul to celebrate the May Day, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu and 25 others were taken into custody by the police in front of DİSK Central Office in Şişli, İstanbul.

DİSK Secretary General Adnan Serdaroğlu, Energy Workers Union (Enerji-Sen) Chair Süleyman Keskin, Food Workers Union (Gıda İş) Seyit Aslan and Progressive Health Workers Union (Dev-Sağlık İş) Secretary General Erdoğan Demir were reportedly also among the detained.

The Confederation announced the police intervention with the below tweet, attaching the following note: "They are attacking workers on May Day. Police attack against the executives of the DİSK and its affiliated unions in front of DİSK Central Office."

#1Mayıs'ta işçiye saldırıyorlar!
DİSK ve bağlı sendikaların yöneticilerine DİSK Genel Merkezi önünde polis saldırısı!
.@diskinsesi https://t.co/U1qqSNvc2Q

— DİSK (@diskinsesi) May 1, 2020

DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu also shared the following tweet: "We are in custody! Workers all across Turkey work and the public order is not disturbed, but May Day celebration disturbs it!"

Gözaltındayız!
Bugün Türkiye'nin dört bir yanında işçi arkadaşlar çalışıyor o kamu düzeni bozulmuyor ama işçilerin #1Mayıs kutlaması kamu düzenini bozarmış! pic.twitter.com/cEffiqrVhx

— Arzu A. Çerkezoğlu (@ArzuCerkezoglu) May 1, 2020

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Ali Şeker was also in front of the DİSK office at the moment of intervention.

He tweeted, "25 representatives from unions wanted to place their wreath in Taksim. Police intervened against it. The real danger has begun there during the period of quarantine. It emberasses Turkey."

Struggle Union wanted to march to Taksim

Struggle Union (Mücadele Birliği) Platform also attempted to march to Taksim from Osmanbey. Three members of the platform were detained.

Marching with the banner "Long Live May Day," Gamze Nihal İyidoğan and Sena Şat were detained in the police intervention on Halaskargazi Avenue. Önsöz TV reporter Ekin Su Aktaş was also detained.

"Yaşasın İşçilerin Mücadele Birliği" sloganıyla Taksim'e girmek isteyen Mücadele Birliği okurlarına polis saldırdı ve gözaltına aldı. Canlı yayın yapan muhabirimiz de polisin saldırısına maruz kaldı ve gözaltına alındı.#1mayıs #taksim #1mayıs2020 #1May #basınasaldırı pic.twitter.com/0n0YAwIh1b

— Önsöz Tv (@OnsozTV) May 1, 2020

Union members detained in Kadıköy

Construction Workers (İnşaat-İş) and Umut-Sen Union members also marched from Söğütlüçeşme to Kadıköy Quay, opening the banners "Long Live May Day" and "Doesn't pandemic affect workers too?"

Chanting slogans and continuing their march, the group was intervened by the police in front of Eminönü Port. Eight people were detained.

#1MAYIS başka bir alem istememizin mihenk taşıdır! Ne yaparsanız yapın bu isteğimizi, umudumuzu zaptedemeyeceksiniz! pic.twitter.com/zbFdY5J8Uh

— İnşaat-İş Sendikası (@insaatsendika) May 1, 2020

(HA/SD)