Thousands of riot policemen have been deployed today throughout Istanbul, using tear gas and water cannon against the people who gathered in Taksim Square to protest, despite the government ban. According to reports of the Turkish media, several protesters have been injured in the clashes.
Reportturk agency has uploaded a photo of a woman covered in blood on its official site.
The situation is particularly tense in the streets of Besiktas district on the European side of Istanbul, near the Bosporus. Labor Day demonstrations are taking place 48 hours after Turkish Prime Minister’s statements in the National Assembly, where he announced his intention to call on US to extradite his No. 1 rival, the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen.
See the video of the protesters in Besiktas

Major demonstrations are also taking place in Ankara and many other Turkish cities.
The heavy presence of riot police throughout Istanbul did not discourage people who ignored Ankara’s announcement that prohibited demonstrations on May Day. Just like the previous years, the Turkish citizens wanted to send a strong message to Erdogan, who has given the order for the deployment of 40,000 men throughout Istanbul on Labor Day.
Leftist organizations announced that they would l try to reach the central square, which has great historical significance for Turkey, as in May Day demonstrations of 1977, 34 people were killed there and 136 were injured.
According to the newspaper Hürriyet, the area around Taksim Square has been blocked and the air is full of tear gas. All transport services to Taksim have been suspended 24 hours ago.