And an AFP reporter said that after giving an ultimatum, hundreds of riot police using water cannons against demonstrators trying to storm the barricades leading to Taksim Square.

And tens of thousands of police deployed in the area around this square, up to 40,000, according to Turkish media, to prevent access.

But allowed the Federation (Turk-s) laid a wreath of dice in Taksim Square in memory of the 34 people killed during a demonstration on May 1, 1977, when demonstrators did not know their identities into the air causing the panic.

The Union organized a rally on the occasion of Istanbul near the opposition stronghold of Piazza kadaikoi, the Asian side of Istanbul.

And paralysed public transport in this city of 13 million people, where authorities closed roads and suspended ferry services and closed Metro stations to prevent the arrival of crowds of protesters.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned last week that protesters "abandon hope" reach Taksim Square but left activists and trade unions were determined to defy the ban.

He justified the Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu Wednesday banned demonstrations about threats of "terrorist groups" may be planning to stir trouble in the Division.

And the past year has been severe clashes between police and demonstrators during the day after a similar ban, and then followed by a broad protest movement against the Government

Comments