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Worker-popular resistance marked the May Day

ENGLISH (02.05.2008)- 1st of May, the international day of working class unity, solidarity and struggle was celebrated all over Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. The focus of all meetings was the Istanbul meeting in Taksim.

Taksim May Day was prohibited by the neoliberal AKP Government. The head of the government, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan himself made the statement for the banning and threatened the workers with the words “If the feet try to rule the head, this will lead to armageddon”. The labor union confederations kept their determination for the Taksim meeting.

Taksim Resistance

The armageddon was on the streets of Istanbul, thus, on the 1st of May, 2008. Similar to last year, the police violence and worker resistance shook the central region of Istanbul. The police violence began at 06.30 am. with the attack against the central office of DISK (Revolutionary Labor Unions Confederation) where around 2 thousand workers spent the night to participate the meeting. The workers were attacked by water cannons and teargas. The police used a mortal sort of teargas bombs which are even prohibited in warfare. They sent many gas bombs inside the DISK building; an open attempt to kill the workers by choking them. This scene was repeated many times during the day time. The worker center was heavily damaged by police brutality.

Later it was proved that the gasbombs carried the security note ‘Cannot be used in social events’, but thousands of these bombs were thrown over the demonstrators whole day.

The clashes began at 10 o’clock in the Sisli district and continued throughout the whole day. The police attacked and dispersed all the demonstrating groups with heavy tear gas bombing and water cannons. Approximately 30 to 40 thousand people gathered in fragmented groups to march to Taksim.

A wave of popular-worker resistance covered all the grand region of city center. Demonstrating groups gathered again and again despite police violence. Resistance was spread to a large area including Sisli, Mecidiyekoy, Ferikoy, Kurtulus, Pangalti, Harbiye, Fulya, Besiktas, Dolmabahce, Dolapdere, Tarlabasi, Cihangir, Istiklal Street.

The leaders of DISK and KESK (Public Employees Labor Confederation) could not bear the heavy police violence and declared that they “gave up” the march towards Taksim in the noon time; “since the people does not have life security, and the government has gone mad, they will make massacre”. But practically, the demonstrations continued until 4 o’clock pm.

The leading force in the demonstrations through out the day were revolutionary political organizations like the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed (ESP), Front for Rights and Freedoms (HOC), popular organizations like the People’s Houses (Halkevleri) and the legal progressive political parties like ODP and TKP.

The workers approached the Taksim Square and tried to enter from two points, Istiklal Street and Siraselviler Street. Barricades were installed against police panzers.

Captive Square

More than 30 thousand policemen occupied the ‘captive square’ Taksim and totally enclosed the square with metal fences. Taksim, the ‘display window’ of Istanbul, the plave were every tourist see demonstrated yesterday the character of the regime.

At the end of the day, totally 2800 persons were detained, 38 were wounded (8 of them police).

The worker-popular resistance in Taksim Square became the primary agenda in the country. All the mainstream (bourgeois) press took a critical position against the government. Only the Islamist press fully supported the government, accusing the workers.

The ban on the Taksim Square is a state policy, applied since the year 1978. But the critical approach of nearly all the bourgeois fractions, accept Islamists, to Erdogan and AKP demonstrate how illegitimate this policy had become for the popular masses. An open survey in the web page of Milliyet newspaper indicates that more than %60 of the voters claimed their support for the legalizing of Taksim Square meetings. 1st of May 2008 further weakened this policy and proved that it is not sustainable.

The workers’ action also divided the ranks of the ruling class. The opposition party CHP openly supported the action, sent its’ parliaments to attend. Even the fascist MHP made a statement to ‘condemn’ the violence ordered by the government.

Kurdish participation

The Kurdish participation to the 1st of May was also a notable feature. PKK made the call for all the Kurds to participate in the 1st of May meetings. May Day was celebrated all over Kurdistan with massive participation. In Diyarbakir, where the government tried to ban the demonstration, tens thousand Kurdish laborers attended the meeting. DTP also took part in the organization of the Taksim meeting. Kurdish youth was an active part of the resistance.

After Newroz (21st of March, national day of the Kurdish people) in which the Turkish revolutionary movement took a more active part, 1st of May was a second step towards the united action of the working class and revolutionary movement of the West and the Kurdish national movement.

Social awakening

1st of May 2008 was a sign of the awakening social consciousness which has deep roots in the popular masses; and this awakening is forcing the traditional repressive framework of the state. The IMF-guided neoliberal program, applied by the AKP government had caused a severe social penetration among the popular laboring masses. This, as a result is creating a struggling energy. While the economical-financial crisis is approaching, the workers’ movement is gaining strength and the working class is learning how to act as a subject both in the social and political fields.

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Photo gallery about May Day

Video-story of the events