<p>Turkish police on Sunday detained more than 160 protesters who were trying to hold a May Day rally in defiance of a ban imposed by the governor's office.</p>.<p>AFP images showed riot police clashing with protesters near Istanbul's Taksim Square, pinning some of them forcefully to the ground before rounding them up in a police car.</p>.<p>The Istanbul governor's office said 164 people were held after staging "an unauthorised rally" and refusing to disperse despite police warnings.</p>.<p>An AFP photographer saw around 20 protesters detained near Taksim Square.</p>.<p>"Long live May Day," some of them shouted. "Labour and freedom! Long live May Day."</p>.<p>There are often detentions during the annual May 1 workers' holiday.</p>.<p>Taksim has been a flashpoint on May Day with frequent clashes since 34 people were killed there on May 1, 1977.</p>.<p>A small group led by the Confederation of Turkish Revolutionary Trade Unions attended an officially approved event at Taksim Square.</p>.<p>A usually bustling square lined with cafes and hotels, Taksim was also the epicentre of 2013 anti-government protests.</p>.<p>Protests initially erupted over an attempt to save adjacent Gezi park from demolition at the hands of the government but grew into a broader movement against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was then prime minister.</p>.<p>Critics accuse Erdogan of amassing great power, trampling on human rights and quashing dissent.</p>.<p>An Istanbul court on Monday condemned leading rights activist Osman Kavala to life prison, a ruling that stunned Turkish civil society and prompted criticism from Ankara's Western allies.</p>.<p>He was convicted of financing the 2013 protests.</p>.<p>The court also handed 18-year jail terms to seven other defendants, including architects, urban planners, a film producer and academics.</p>.<p>In the meantime, thousands gathered on Sunday on the Asian side of Istanbul in an authorised rally to celebrate May Day.</p>.<p>"Long live our May Day struggle," they chanted.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Turkish police on Sunday detained more than 160 protesters who were trying to hold a May Day rally in defiance of a ban imposed by the governor's office.</p>.<p>AFP images showed riot police clashing with protesters near Istanbul's Taksim Square, pinning some of them forcefully to the ground before rounding them up in a police car.</p>.<p>The Istanbul governor's office said 164 people were held after staging "an unauthorised rally" and refusing to disperse despite police warnings.</p>.<p>An AFP photographer saw around 20 protesters detained near Taksim Square.</p>.<p>"Long live May Day," some of them shouted. "Labour and freedom! Long live May Day."</p>.<p>There are often detentions during the annual May 1 workers' holiday.</p>.<p>Taksim has been a flashpoint on May Day with frequent clashes since 34 people were killed there on May 1, 1977.</p>.<p>A small group led by the Confederation of Turkish Revolutionary Trade Unions attended an officially approved event at Taksim Square.</p>.<p>A usually bustling square lined with cafes and hotels, Taksim was also the epicentre of 2013 anti-government protests.</p>.<p>Protests initially erupted over an attempt to save adjacent Gezi park from demolition at the hands of the government but grew into a broader movement against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was then prime minister.</p>.<p>Critics accuse Erdogan of amassing great power, trampling on human rights and quashing dissent.</p>.<p>An Istanbul court on Monday condemned leading rights activist Osman Kavala to life prison, a ruling that stunned Turkish civil society and prompted criticism from Ankara's Western allies.</p>.<p>He was convicted of financing the 2013 protests.</p>.<p>The court also handed 18-year jail terms to seven other defendants, including architects, urban planners, a film producer and academics.</p>.<p>In the meantime, thousands gathered on Sunday on the Asian side of Istanbul in an authorised rally to celebrate May Day.</p>.<p>"Long live our May Day struggle," they chanted.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>