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| Police break up Turkey marchers | Police break up Turkey marchers |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Turkish riot police have used tear gas and water cannon to prevent protesters from staging a banned May Day rally in the centre of Istanbul. | Turkish riot police have used tear gas and water cannon to prevent protesters from staging a banned May Day rally in the centre of Istanbul. |
| The authorities say 505 people were arrested and several were hurt as crowds tried to reach Taksim Square. | The authorities say 505 people were arrested and several were hurt as crowds tried to reach Taksim Square. |
| Stones and bottles were thrown at security forces and police wearing gas masks broke up the demonstrators. | Stones and bottles were thrown at security forces and police wearing gas masks broke up the demonstrators. |
| The Turkish government has banned May Day celebrations in and around the square since 34 people died in 1977. | The Turkish government has banned May Day celebrations in and around the square since 34 people died in 1977. |
| Turkey's three main union confederations had announced they would try to hold a rally, but eventually they gave up because of the clashes. | |
| Police set up barricades around the square to enforce the ban, imposed after officials said they had received reports that radicals were planning violent protests. | |
| Local media said six police and an unknown number of demonstrators were injured. | |
| In Greece, workers marked May Day with a strike that severely affected train and ferry services. No newspapers were published and broadcasters operated with reduced staff. | |
| Marches took place in Athens and other major cities as unions used the public holiday to protest against the Greek government's campaign of privatisation and pension reform. | |
| In Belarus, a human rights group said 20 activists were arrested during a May Day protest in the capital, Minsk. |