There were clashes in central Istanbul on Thursday after Turkish demonstrators tried to defy a government ban on May Day rallies at the city’s iconic Taksim Square.<br /><br />Only a few trade union leaders were allowed into the area under police guard to lay flowers commemorating the deaths of at least 34 people there during a May Day gathering in 1977.<br /><br />Our correspondent in Istanbul Bora Bayraktar, who witnessed the wreath-laying, said: “Taksim Square is a traditional May Day gathering place, but this year it is again cordoned off by riot police, which is why there are only police and members of the media here. <br /><br />In the streets around the square anti-government demonstrators attempted to break through police lines. <br /><br />Tear gas and water cannon were met with stones and fireworks.<br /><br />With the exception of one year – 2010 – May Day gatherings in Taksim Square have not been allowed since 1977 when an unidentified gunman opened fire on a rally there, killing some and setting off a stampede in which people were crushed to death. <br /><br />Last year’s ban sparked mass protests that spread across Turkey through the summer.<br /><br />It was one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s rule since he came to power in 2002.<br /><br />Erdogan has said both last year’s street protests and a corruption scandal dogging his government since December are part of a plot to undermine him.
