TRADE unionists, journalists and political activists were among those detained in Istanbul yesterday as they tried to gather in Taksim Square, where protests have been banned since 2013.

Police moved against workers as they gathered early in the morning in Sisli, swooping to make arrests as the march moved off.

Another group in the Besiktas district was also targeted by the authorities.

It is thought that at least 15 people have been detained, including five members of construction workers union Insaat-Is, and were taken into custody at the Gayrettepe Security Directorate.

Demonstrations have been banned in Takism Square since the Gezi Park uprising in 2013 which saw mass anti-government protests which initially started over the chopping down of trees.

The Istanbul square has been a traditional focal point for Workers’ Day events.

It was the scene of a “state massacre” in 1977 which saw at least 42 people killed and more than 200 injured with more than 500 arrests.

Journalist Serpil Unal who was on her way to Taksim Square to follow the May Day events was detained briefly before being released. 

Yesterday’s event was the first May Day celebration since authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s humiliating local election defeat in Istanbul.