The police in Istanbul's Taxim Square prepared for demonstrations on May Day, despite them being banned. A small group of Kurdish communists arrived to protest, giving speeches for 15 minutes before refusing three warnings to disperse. This led to clashes between the protesters and riot police, who used batons and tear gas to subdue the group and transport them to buses for arrest. Later, a suspicious package was found but proved to be a false alarm.

1. May Day in Taxim Square,
Istanbul 2006

2. Everyone Waiting for the DHKP-C (leftist terror group) to show

3. Demonstrations have been banned at this location (Taxim Square)

4. The Police are ready

5. The Jandarma (a branch of the Military) are ready

6. The Panzers with water cannons are ready

7. The Ambulances are ready

8. A small group of Kurdish communists arrive with banners
and flags and begin to give speeches with a megaphone

9. They throw leaflets with “long live May Day in Kurdish

10. And also in Turkish

11. This gets the attention of the Police

12. And the Press

13. The Police allow them to speak for approximately 15 minutes

14. The group was given 3 warnings to disperse

15. Batons, fire extinguishers, riot shields, canisters of
compressed tear gas all ready

16. The group refuses to disperse citing their peaceful right to
protest. Notice the thickness of the wood for the flags?
Evidence of their “peaceful” intentions

17. Last warning is given

18. Motion as the group begins to attack the Police with their
flags

19. The riot police respond

20. Batons and blasts of compressed tear gas are used as the
Police separate the group

21. One by one the group is taken to the ground

22. The battles intensifies (did you know that a mist of tear gas
on the lens of your camera blurs the focus?)

23. The Police start to move the group to buses

24. Males to one bus females to another

25. At least one protester continues to fight in the bus (even
when the Police have him in a choke hold with a baton)

26. One of the protesters weapons broken during the struggle

27. A little later a suspicious
package is found at the near by
Burger King

28. False alarm, no boom this time

29. Overall a pretty boring May Day
for this location, maybe next year
will be better