Police detains 60 people for alleged May 1 actions

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Istanbul police detained yesterday a group of 60 people for alleged May 1 International Workers’ Day damages committed during the demonstrations in Istanbul.

Police detained members of a group who call themselves “anarchists,” according to reports.

The detainees are charged with damaging businesses with sticks and stones during this year’s May 1 celebrations.

The suspects have been directed to the Forensic Institute for medical checks.

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

There was also tension in Ankara between police and demonstrators. Police sprayed tear gas on a group of demonstrators in Ankara after the group wanted to cross a police barricade that day.

A group of nearly 80 people wearing masks had attacked shops in Istanbul’s Mecidiyeköy district on May 1. The attackers targeted banks, coffee shops and restaurants, breaking shop windows and ATM machines.