Istanbul, Turkey’s main travel and tourism attractions and gathering places, is locked down by Turkish police on this holiday weekend due to fear of violence and protests.
It’s a security lockdown in anticipation of Labor Day protests. The police have blocked off roads into the city centre and public transport has been closed “to maintain the peace.”
The normally traffic-clogged streets in the city centre were quiet as the authorities blocked off all vehicle access to Taksim Square.
In May and June 2013, the square became the focus of deadly anti-government protests.
The capital, Ankara, also had a heavy police presence on Friday, with restrictions on public access to the city centre.
The Agence France Presse (AFP) news agency reported that several hundred people turned out in the Besiktas district on the Bosphorus – a strait that lies between European and Asian Turkey.
They were shouting “Long Live May 1!” and “shoulder to shoulder against Fascism!”, as they gathered to march to Taksim Square, it was reported.
Iron barriers have been erected on the square itself making pedestrian access impossible.
Ferry services from the Asian side of the Bosphorus had been suspended to stop people from crossing to join protests on the European side.
Private helicopters were also banned to give the airspace to police choppers.
20,000 police officers had been deployed in Istanbul backed up by 62 water cannon trucks, which would be used if clashes break out.
It’s the first May Day since Turkey’s parliament passed a controversial security bill this year giving the police greater powers to crack down on public protests.
