ISTANBUL - Turkish police on May 1 detained dozens of protesters attempting to tear down barricades in different districts of Istanbul after the authorities banned May Day rallies at the city’s main Taksim Square.

Tens of thousands of police were deployed across Istanbul, blocking even small side streets with metal barriers in an attempt to prevent groups of protesters from gathering.

The authorities have banned rallies at Taksim Square since the 2013 demonstrations against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

In the Besiktas district, police detained at least 30 left-wing protesters who shouted “Taksim cannot be banned”, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.

One protester was dragged along the ground by police and his group detained.

Another 30 people were detained in the Sisli district.

Main roads across Istanbul were closed to traffic while public transport including ferries and subway trains were halted.

Turkey’s main opposition CHP party and unions had pressed the government to open the square for labour rallies, but Mr Erdogan warned on April 30 against any provocation.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, accompanied by Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and labour unions, gathered at the Sarachane neighborhood that houses the city hall.

“We will keep on fighting until Taksim is free,” Mr Ozel said.

In 2023, Turkey’s top constitutional court ruled that the closure of Taksim Square for protests was a violation of rights. AFP