ISTANBUL - Leaders of the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Unions (DISK) decided to finish their May 1st celebrations earlier than scheduled.
DISK Chairman Suleyman Celebi told reporters on Thursday that together with the Confederation of Public Sector Unions (KESK) chairman Ismail Hakki Tombul and Turkish Confederation of Labor (Turk-Is) Secretary General Mustafa Turkel, they decided not to push workers towards the Taksim square for a colossal meeting.
Demonstrations on the square were bannd by the government and a large police force was placed to block roads leading to the square.
"We wanted to gather in Taksim (square) to express our demands with an enthusiastic festival. Now, all squares and whole Turkey have become Taksim," said Celebi.
He said, "now we are ending the celebrations with common sense."
Turkey's major labor unions and other civil organizations were planning to celebrate May 1st Workers' Day at Istanbul's Taksim Square but police did not allow them due to security reasons.
(GC-ULG)