ISTANBUL, TURKEY A protester is arrested at the Beikta neigh

ISTANBUL, TURKEY A protester is arrested at the Beikta neighborhood of Istanbul after clashing with riot police on Thursday May 1. Demonstrators clashed with Turkish police in several neighborhoods of Istanbul on Thursday as security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water canons in an effort to fend off the protesters. The gathering crowds, defying Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's warnings that they would not be allowed to reach Taksim square attempted to push through the security lines. In anticipation to the mass gatherings the government shut large sections of the city's public transportation and erected barricades around Taksim square. Thousands of riot and plain-clothed police were deployed across many parts of the city The prime minister warned labor unions last week that they would not be allowed to march on Taksim and offered a space on the city outskirts for the protests to be held. These warnings were largely ignored as demonstrators repeatedly attempted to breach the riot police lines - according to the Progressive Lawyers Association, around 40 people had been hospitalized and around 160 detained. May Day protests refer to "The Taksim Square massacre" on 1 May, 1977. The international Labour Day celebrations in Istanbul were first celebrated in 1912. Between 1928 and 1975 these celebrations had been largely banned by the state. On 1 May, 1976 the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey organized a rally on Taksim Square with a massive turnout. The next year around 500,000 citizens participated - security forces intervened with armoured vehicles and water hoses. Most of the casualties were caused by a stampede which killed between 34 and 42 persons and 126 to 220 protestors were injured.