Taksim and İstiklal Avenue Closed

Photograph: Muhammed Enes Yıldırım - AA / İstanbul

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All roads leading to Taksim Square in the district of Beyoğlu in İstanbul have been closed to vehicle traffic due to the May 1 Labor Day. İstiklal Avenue has also been closed to pedestrian access. There are police teams and barricades at all entrance points to İstiklal Avenue.

Photograph: Berk Özkan - AA / İstanbul

No one, including journalists, is permitted access to İstiklal Avenue, which has been surrounded by barricades. At checkpoints at Taksim Square, police have been performing identity checks.

Photograph: Çiçek Tahaoğlu - bianet

Only those who work are permitted access to İstiklal Avenue, where all stores were closed in early morning hours. It could be seen that it was only the police who could walk along the avenue.

Photograph: Pınar Tarcan - bianet

Taksim Square has been closed to the May Day celebrations since 2013.

Two unions are at Taksim Square

Photograph: Pınar Tarcan - bianet

Workers from the Unions of United Metal-Work (Birleşik Metal-İş) and Transport-Work (Nakliyat-İş) entered Taksim Square as of 12.30 p.m. with the slogans, "We will win by resisting", "The day will come, the fate will turn and the AKP [Justice and Development Party] will account to the people", "The workers who resist will win the victory" and "We are at the May Day Square on the May Day."

Photograph: Pınar Tarcan - bianet

Workers also placed a wreath on the street called Kazancı Yokuşu, where the ones who lost their lives on May 1, 1977 are commemorated.* During the commemoration ceremony, workers chanted the slogans, "Taksim cannot be forbidden to the workers" and "Those who resist will win the victory."

HAKSEN members were permitted access to Taksim Square

Photograph: Pınar Tarcan - bianet

At 10.30 a.m., the members of the Confederation of Rights Unions of Public Employees (HAKSEN) were permitted access to Taksim Square. While the Chair of the confederation Ayhan Çivi criticized other unions for "engaging in politics," the members of the confederation were barefoot "to share and reflect the right losses suffered by public employees."

Photograph: Pınar Tarcan - bianet

TÜRK-İŞ members held commemoration ceremony

Around 10 a.m., the members of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ) were also permitted entrance to Taksim Square.

After walking from Gümüşsuyu Street to Taksim Square, the group moved on to Kazancı Yokuşu to commemorate those who were killed during the May Day celebrations in 1977.

"Assignment document" is requested for access to İstiklal Avenue

Police forces located at the entrance point from Tünel Square to İstiklal Avenue request that the ones who demand access to the avenue present "an assignment document which proves that they work on May 1."

Those who could show an official document proving that they are on their way to work are permitted access to İstiklal Avenue after a body and bag search.

Tourists are at police checkpoints with their luggage

Photograph: Muhammed Enes Yıldırım - AA / İstanbul

Tourists also have difficulty in entering İstiklal Avenue. While the police have opened the barricades for tourists in Sıraselviler Street, tourists at Tünel Square have had to wait for a long time with their luggage at the police checkpoint. (ÇT/SD)

* On May 1, 1977, 34 people were killed and 126 people were wounded after a mass-shooting which targeted the crowd consisting of more than 500 thousand people who were at Taksim Square to celebrate the Labor Day. The incident, whose perpetrators have not been identified up until today, has gone down in history as 'Taksim Square Massacre' and the majority of deaths occurred at the street called Kazancı Yokuşu due to a truck parked at the entrance to the street blocking the passage of panicked crowd fleeing the square. Since then, commemoration ceremonies have been held at Kazancı Yokuşu in order to commemorate those who lost their lives on May 1, 1977 and to make a demand for justice.