Struggles on the 1st of May for the Taksim square in Istanbul
42,000 police officers were on the streets of Istanbul in Turkey on the 1st of May to repress the unfolding protests and to repress the people who attempted to take the Taksim square, the traditional main square for holding demonstrations on which demonstrations are permanently banned by the old State. All routes to the square were blocked by the police and even snipers were placed on the roof tops in Saraçhane. The old State declared a de facto state of emergency, as Yeni Demokrasi reports, with the public transport being stopped and whole areas being closed off by the police.
The masses reacted with anger to the announcement that the march would end in Saraçhane and attempted to breach the barricades and started to throw stones at the police, who shot rubber bullets and sprayed pepper spray on the protesters. In the struggle, 210 people were detained.
Partizan, which mobilized strongly for a determined march to Taksim, published a statement saying that there was also a special attack against their ranks, who were carrying the silhouette of Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, who died as a martyr after being tortured by the old State, and that they responded to the attack by marching to the barricades chanting the slogan “Our leader Ibrahim Kaypakkaya!”. They call for the release of 17 of their comrades who were detained and declare that these attacks only show their righteousness. On the Partizan’s statement it is clearly seen a great combativeness and struggling spirit, and how Partizan states: “These detentions, which aim to suppress the will to struggle, will never prevent the development of a stronger will. The attack of those who fear the will of the people is futile. (…) Our revolutionary march will not allow this. Because revolution is the need of the masses. Our march is the historical march of the masses. (…) The revolutionary will of the masses cannot be banned or prevented.”
