Majority of detainees released after May Day rallies

ISTANBUL

Authorities have released 182 out of 217 people detained in Istanbul after tensions erupted between police and demonstrators during May Day rallies, security sources have said.

The remaining 35 people were referred to the courthouse for potential arrest, the sources said on May 2.

In a social media post late on May 1, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya disclosed that a total of 241,000 people participated in more than 210 events in 78 out of the country’s 81 provinces.

Across the country, 226 people had been detained, mostly in Istanbul, over “disobeying early warnings, trying to reach closed areas and clash with the security forces,” Yerlikaya said.

On May 1, the focus remained on Istanbul, particularly Taksim Square, as the authorities banned May Day protests in the iconic area, leading to heightened security measures by the police.

The media extensively covered the bans imposed not only within the symbolic square but also on all routes and modes of public transportation leading to the site.

The atmosphere turned tense as clashes erupted between law enforcement and demonstrators, resulting in numerous detentions.