The Communist Party will not leave its three members at the dictator’s mercy
We reject the Taksim detentions
The Communist Party does not have to carry out its political activities in a framework determined by a government acting as the public enemy.
On May 1, some Communist Party members were assigned to be in Taksim Square by the Central Committee of the Party and they accomplished their duty with great discipline and determination.
It has to be known that neither the released Communist Party members nor the detained three members committed a crime. It is the government who committed crime by trying to prevent violently thousands of people who wanted to celebrate the working class’ day of unity and struggle, the feast of labor in May 1 arena.
The Communist Party showed that government couldn’t subdue people’s willpower.
This is a political stance and cannot be made a legal issue in any way. The detention of three Communist party members, Ali Adıgüzel, Bahtiyar Şahin and Deniz Sinan Tunaboylu after an inconsistent and unfounded legal process has no justification or legal ground just like the AKP rule itself. There are political responsibilities our comrades shoulder and we will not let their duties be interrupted arbitrarily.
Our comrades and everyone else detained because they wanted to celebrate May 1 should be immediately released.
The Communist Party, Turkey
The Central Committee
* What happened:
Tens of thousands of workers, members of unions and of communist and socialist parties tried to gather in Istanbul for a mass demonstration but were attacked by the police on 1st of May.
The government of AKP (The party of Justice and Development) and the governor of Istanbul, like the previous years, took dictatorial measures to prevent the working people to participate Mayday demonstrations at the central place of the city, Taksim Square.
In order to stop demonstrators to reach Taksim Square the authorities halted public transportation whole day. The police closed down the three main squares of the city centre with huge barriers where the demonstrators were supposed to gather and inhibited all the pedestrians to walk through these streets. In short, the Turkish government proclaimed an informal state of siege in Istanbul in order to prevent the demonstrations.
As a response to the government which ordered 25 thousand policemen to protect Taksim Square in all means, Communist Party Central Committee announced that 1st of May will be celebrated in different cities by the party but the flag of the working class will also be represented in Taksim.
Thousands of Communist Party members managed to gather and organise a rally in an other square close to Taksim, just before a group of party militants who break the police barricade and enter the Taksim Square. (video link)
Photos from Taksim: http://haber.sol.org.tr/fotogaleri/komunist-parti-uyelerinin-taksim-meydanina-cikisindan-kareler-115262
Apart from Istanbul, Communist Party, Turkey celebrated 1st of May in 12 different cities with a strong participation.
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