The office of the left-wing online portal Sendika.org in Istanbul was raided and searched by the police in the absence of its operators. On the other hand, 27 people were detained in connection with the 1 May demonstrations this year.
Turkish police raided and searched the Istanbul office of the online portal Sendika.org on Tuesday morning. The door was broken open and no one was present during the search. According to the online newspaper, the door lock was replaced by the police after the raid, during which bookshelves and cupboards were ransacked and some photos were confiscated.
Sendika.org has been reporting on the struggles of left-wing movements in Turkey since 2001 and is used as a news source by tens of thousands of people every day. The website is frequently blocked by the Turkish authorities. Parallel to the search of the office, several flats in Istanbul were raided by the police and at least 27 people were taken into custody in connection with the demonstrations on 1 May.
On 1 May, more than 200 people were detained in Istanbul who wanted to take part in a demonstration in Taksim Square. At least 60 further detentions were made in the wake of two large-scale raids. The Turkish authorities had declared shortly before May Day that Taksim was not to be used for the annual demonstrations. Left-wing organisations, trade union associations and political parties nevertheless called for the demonstration, also referring to a ruling by the Constitutional Court. The police used rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas against the participants. Numerous demonstrators, as well as members of the media, were injured. At least 49 people have been remanded in custody in connection with the May Day demonstrations.
