Thousands gather in Istanbul for May Day demonstration

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tens of thousands filled Istanbul's Taksim Square on Sunday morning demanding jobs and better work conditions on May Day, also known as Labor Day.

Taksim Square carries a significant symbolic importance in May Day celebrations. On May 1, 1977, 34 people were killed during a Labor Day gathering at the square when shots were fired into the crowd from a nearby building leading to an intervention by security forces and armored vehicles. Most of the casualties resulted from the panic caused by the intervention among hundreds of thousands of participants.

When participants gathered in Taksim Square this Sunday, they commemorated those who lost their lives 34 years ago by leaving carnations at the location where the incident first started.

After the 1977 incident, Taksim Square was closed to May Day celebrations, with unions only being allowed back into the square last year.

Participants at this year's gathering were from labor unions as well as opposition parties. Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) representatives also joined the celebration. Kurdish songs were played and announcements were made in Turkish and Kurdish at the square.

People gathered to commemorate the day in other cities throughout Turkey, including Ankara, Sunday's Zaman reported.

Thousands gather in Istanbul for May Day demonstration