Riot cops rout Turkish May Day protesters

ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish riot police attacked hundreds of workers with clubs, tear gas and water cannons to prevent them taking part in a May Day march in Istanbul that was banned by the government.

The workers, representing several trade unions, planned to defy a ban on holding rallies at the city's Taksim Square by celebrating the country's former Labor Day there, but they were met by thousands of police, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said 530 demonstrators were detained and 38 people were injured, AP reported.

The government banned rallies at the square after unknown gunmen fired on a rally there in 1977. More than 30 people died, either of bullet wounds or after they were trampled to death in the stampede.

May Day, like Labor Day in the United States, celebrates the achievements of the labor movement. Watch scenes of violence on streets of Istanbul »

But Turkey stopped marking May 1 as Labor Day after a 1980 military coup, whose leaders regarded the festivities as an opportunity for leftist activism, AP said.

In recent years, labor groups have sought permission to march to the square to commemorate the massacre. Every year, the government has turned them down.

Instead, Turkish authorities allow a small wreath-laying ceremony at the location, and open up other areas of Istanbul to rallies.

This year, however, several labor groups and trade unions have said they would flout the ban. They said they would mobilize up to 50,000 people for the rally at the square, located in the heart of Istanbul.

Last year, dozens of people were injured in violent clashes making the 30th anniversary of the 1977 shooting. See workers also protesting in South Korea. »

To prevent that from happening, police used tear gas and water canons to break up the crowd as they gathered in front of labor union offices. Demonstrators retaliated by hurling taunts and rocks at officers.

Smoke from tear gas enveloped some city streets, while office workers in shirts and ties walked away with handkerchiefs covering their mouths.

Unlike most of Europe, May Day is not a holiday in Turkey.

The governor of Istanbul said police have permission to use force to disperse the crowd.

Authorities sealed Taksim Square to the public and shut down public transportation to the area.

Undeterred, demonstrators took to the streets. They chanted slogans and pumped their fists in the air. Officers with guns drawn tried to wave them away.

One man, his shirt in tatters after a confrontation with police, was escorted away by officers. Another tried to kick the shield off an officer before he was taken down. E-mail to a friend

Journalist Andrew Finkel contributed to this report

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