Nine arrested for Labor Day protests in Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

An Istanbul court has arrested nine people for damaging businesses and public property during May Day celebrations in the city.

The suspects were charged with attacking banks, coffee shops and restaurants, as well as breaking shop windows and ATM machines during the protests.

Police detained 35 people from a group of nearly 80 people who described themselves as anarchists, according to reports. The detainees were allegedly wearing masks when they attacked shops in the city’s Mecidiyeköy neighborhood.

Police subsequently referred 15 of the suspects to court. The court then ruled to imprison nine suspects while releasing six others on May 17.

The court reportedly decided to arrest the suspects on the grounds that they had “caused public indignation.”

Hundreds of thousands people hit the streets in cities around Turkey on May 1 for International Workers’ Day.