Turkish riot police detained at least 207 people during May Day celebrations across İstanbul on Monday, according to a statement from the İstanbul Governor’s Office.
The central venue of the celebrations in İstanbul was the public bazaar in İstanbul’s Bakırköy neighborhood since Taksim Square, which is the symbolic venue of May Day festivities, was closed by the Turkish government for the day.
Police officers took photos of every banner that was brought by demonstrators to the area, and words such as KHK, or government decree, and OHAL, or state of emergency, were cut out of the banners.
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) government declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15. During emergency rule, which is still in effect, thousands of people have been purged from state institutions on coup charges through controversial government decrees, which cannot be challenged in court.
