The state that banned the Mayday celebration in Istanbul at Taksim Square had started to threaten the people days before through the prime minister, ministers and Istanbul Governor. The Organisation Committee, however, determined to celebrate Mayday at Taksim Square, Istanbul, and among whom are unions such as DISK , KESK , Turk-Is , and organisations such as ESP , ODP and EMEP , as well as the revolutionary organisations, prepared themselves to march to Taksim from three different points. When the extent of the state`s attacks became clear, the unions decided to march only from one direction.
In order to hinder the participation in the Mayday celebrations, Istanbul Governor had blocked the traffic by cancelling the ferries, trams and metros. The buses of the workers of the union Deri-Is Tuzla branch and Limter-Is who wanted to go to Taksim were excluded from traffic and the workers tried to be hindered to go to Taksim. Istanbul has experienced a state of occupation.
The workers, who had started to gather in front of the general office of DISK in Istanbul on the eve, were attacked in the morning at 6.30am. The mass resisted against the attacks and did not disperse. The police continued to attack the workers later on. The police threw a lot of gas bombs at the general office of DISK. Due to that, a deputy of CHP had a heart spasm. Because of the attacks, the leaders of DISK, KESK and Turk-Is gathered in front of the general office of DISK to make a statement to the press explainig that there is no security ensured so that they would no longer march to Taksim Square. Despite this decision, thousands of workers and labourers, revolutionaries and communists, set off to Taksim Square. The masses that had to withdraw from time to time because of the attacks defended themselves against the pepper gas, gas bombs and bullets by throwing stones. Throughout the day people tried to march to Taksim from different directions. Deputies and lawyers were also banned from entering Taksim Square where the majority of the shopkeepers closed their shops. Even the emergency sections of the hospitals had to face gas bombs.
The police made barricades everywhere in front of the masses that wanted to march to Taksim Square to celebrate Mayday there. Taksim Square was surrounded by barricades and tanks. 20.000 police men were active to prevent the workers from reaching Taksim Square. Additional units of the army`s troops were also deployed. Anyone coming nearby Taksim Square was attacked brutally. The revolutionaries continued to clash with the police until late evening hours to reach Taksim Square from different directions.