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AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici

May Day protests in Turkey turn violent with 90 injuries and 142 arrests

Meanwhile in Moscow, over 100,000 turned out to voice their support for Vladimir Putin.

POLICE IN TURKEY fired water cannon at protesters yesterday as violence broke out amid May Day marches.

Demonstrators were out in force in parts of Europe, marching against unemployment and austerity policies while across Asia, workers turned out to demand better working conditions and salary hikes.

100,000 paraded in Moscow’s Red Square to voice support for the country’s embattled president.

In tense Istanbul, hundreds of riot police fired tear gas and water cannon against protesters as they tried to breach barricades leading to Taksim square on the anniversary of clashes that spawned a nationwide protest movement.

The Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement that 90 people, including 19 police officers, were hurt and 142 were arrested across the city as police clashed with flag-waving and balaclava-wearing protesters hurling stones and Molotov cocktails.

In Istanbul’s Besiktas district, Mahmut Tanal, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party was beaten by police, who tried to push him away from a water cannon truck.

“This is a picture that you can only see in countries which are governed by dictator regimes,” Tanal told AFP.

Turkey May Day Protesters stand as riot police use water cannons and teargas to disperse thousands of people trying to reach the city's main central Taksim Square. AP Photo / Emrah Gurel AP Photo / Emrah Gurel / Emrah Gurel

In Turkey’s capital Ankara, police fired volleys of tear gas and jets of water on hundreds of protesters trying to march to the Kizilay Square, also declared off limits.

In Washington, US Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said “not just in Turkey but everywhere, we support people’s right to freely express themself and the right to peaceful protests”, adding the US “also would urge everyone to show restraint in these kind of situations”.

Even larger crowds than in Turkey gathered for May Day in Russia — but this time in support of their government — as a huge column of demonstrators waving Russian flags and balloons marched through Red Square to voice their support for President Vladimir Putin and his hardline stance on the Ukraine crisis and the annexation of Crimea.

The 100,000-strong march was the first time that the cobblestoned Moscow landmark had witnessed a May Day parade since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.

Russia May Day Thousands of Communists gather in downtown Moscow. AP Photo / Denis Tyrin AP Photo / Denis Tyrin / Denis Tyrin

“Putin is right”, “Proud of the country” and “Let’s support decisions of our president” read the banners carried by the smiling demonstrators in a colourful spectacle that harked back to Soviet times.

Trade union leaders said about two million people had turned up for May Day rallies across Russia.

In Italy’s Turin, scuffles broke out between police and hundreds of protesters. Activists lobbed smoke bombs at police, who charged demonstrators in the northern industrial city, which has been badly hit by a painful two-year recession.

- © AFP 2014.

Read: Turkish court reverses ban on YouTube, but its Prime Minister isn’t happy >

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    Mute JG
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    Jul 28th 2022, 3:42 PM

    He deffo needs to set himself aside from the torys on this or he will be sent to the waste bin also

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:07 PM

    @JG: he’s appealing to the uk public. They don’t like strikes or union leaders and politicians on picket lines waving copies of socialist worker about. Its why Corbyn lost in a landslide.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:53 PM

    @Tom Quin: Every poll on the rail workers strikes had the public in support of them.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:03 PM

    I take it back a YouGov poll didn’t. Savanta Comes poll of 2,300 58% of the people questioned said the strikes are justified, with 34% deeming them unjustified.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:27 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: No it doesn’t.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:34 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: The only ones showing support I can find are the ones carried by or for the RMT. No suprises there.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:41 PM

    @Tom Quin: The Savanta ComRes poll wasn’t Carrie out for the RMT. Its funny how we only see what we want to see isn’t it Tom?

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 8:11 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: It must be the only one then, an outlier. An online one rigged by activists probably.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 8:41 PM

    @Tom Quin: The IPSOS one was equal support at 35% to opposition at 35%. Doesn’t show the British public detesting unions. The only reason the Tories do so well is because the Brits use FPTP elections. It’s well established UK Labour would come out on top with PR voting. So no the British people don’t hate the left.

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    Mute David Bourke
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    Jul 28th 2022, 9:51 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness:

    Keeping in mind that, despite the name, YouGov is a private polling company founded by a conservative party member who is now a conservative party MP.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 29th 2022, 1:11 AM

    @David Bourke: Absolutely, good point that!

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Jul 28th 2022, 4:25 PM

    They sabotaged their party from within with their revolt on Corbyn. It’s no wonder they’re a bit lost for direction these days when they promoted a fence sitter to party leader.

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    Mute DJ François
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:06 PM

    @Rochelle: With FPTP electoral system and a very hostile media, Corbyn was never going to get in.

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    Mute Tim Dawson
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:10 PM

    @Rochelle: Corbyn handed the Conservatives their biggest majority in donkeys years. He let Boris off the hook when he was suffocating to death through the pressure of brexit and a minority government. Corbyn showed the worst judgement of any leader in modern history when he agreed to that election. He then bombed out un the election campaign. He will be remembered as one of the worst Labour leaders in history. His decisions, scandals and his unprecedented unnecessary election defeat will ensure that.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:14 PM

    @Rochelle: Corbyn lost to a Tory landslide, the uk public do not want left wingers. Starmer is trying to win an election in the real world.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:57 PM

    @Tim Dawson: Corbyn was utterly railroaded by the media.. Even the BBC photoshopped a Russian style hat onto him on their backgrounds. He was absolutely hounded out of his position. The recent report shows how much the New Labour (Blairite) side of the party and the NEC completely shoehorned him. 100′s of thousands of people joined the Labour Party because Corbyn was the leader and the NEC screwed that membership over.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:04 PM

    @Tom Quin: The UK public are too easily led by their right wing media barons.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:14 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: the british public have only ever once voted for a socialist government that was after ww2. The media did not give Boris that huge landslide.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:16 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: that’s very, very weak. you thinking the uk public are so thick because they did not vote for the guy you wanted them too is the sort of arrogance that switches people off the left.

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    Mute Daniel Roche
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    Jul 28th 2022, 7:24 PM

    @Tim Dawson: To be fair he didn’t get the support of the higher up’s in the labour party,the papers were all against him,his own wanted him to fail,he was elected by the people on the ground in the labour party,not saying he was perfect but he never had a chance,look at the head of labour now.

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    Mute Daniel Roche
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    Jul 28th 2022, 7:28 PM

    @Tom Quin: They voted for to leave the EU,yes they have a huge amount of badly informed people that believe lies and think the empire is still alive.

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 8:14 PM

    @Daniel Roche: No they just voted the way you didn’t like. It’s not a crime to leave the EU.

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    Mute FiannaFáilness FineGaelness
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    Jul 28th 2022, 8:43 PM

    @Tom Quin: Who said it was a crime? Clearly you’re just a troll.

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    Mute Shedonny
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    Jul 28th 2022, 10:15 PM

    @Tim Dawson:
    I’d love to hear about the Corbyn scandals. Please provide the details

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 10:19 PM

    @FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: So people who disagree with you are not just thick and gullible but also trolls?

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    Mute alan
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    Jul 28th 2022, 4:44 PM

    Forgetting that working conditions would still be in the dark ages if it wasn’t for Unions. This isn’t simply a matter of one mp not abiding by party protocols, starmer has been on the fence all along. His fear of the electorate and the right wing press could be considered cautious and prudent but not at the cost of handing everything to the Tories on a plate. Surely it is easy enough for him to highlight that transport issues are created initially by the govt and not by the unions?

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    Mute Tom Quin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:16 PM

    @alan: the brit public do not support unions and lefties like Corbyn. Starmer needs to win them over to get the Tories out and going full on Corbyn will give tories another landslide.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 3:45 PM

    Starmer must’ve thought, the Tories are ripping themselves apart with this leadership contest, we can do better than them!

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    Mute Niall Lee
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:16 PM

    Labour party for the working class there’s a joke

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    Mute Joe Vlogs
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    Jul 28th 2022, 5:00 PM

    If I understand it correctly, he wasn’t sacked for supporting the strikers, but rather because he said it was Labour policy to advocate for a pay rise in line with inflation. Which would a) would make no economic sense – increasing wages in line with inflation will only lead to further inflation, and b) clearly would be a major policy proposal, and as such if someone just says it is the party position when it isn’t, that person should be sacked. Such a proposal is ludicrous, and would just give the Torries the chance to portray Labour as some kind of looney left part that would end up bankrupting Britain, hurting small business owners, etc. etc. Right now, Labour just need to sit back and quiet while the Torries destroy themselves.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:40 PM

    Always the same with Labour, when the Tories are on the ropes they proceed to shoot themselves in both feet. Fairly much unelectable as they’re perceived as differing factions all adopting opposing views. Should just split into three different parties and be done with it.

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    Mute Thisguy
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:09 PM

    Starmer did the correct thing to sack him. What are all these whingers going on about?

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    Mute Sean McCartin
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    Jul 28th 2022, 10:23 PM

    Shouldn’t Labour ya know, be on the side of workers. I’m guessing that day has long since past since Tony Blair and ‘new Labour’. Moderate Tories in disguise

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    Mute Mike
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    Jul 28th 2022, 6:11 PM

    Unable to govern themselves anymore over there…Maybe we should tie in with India and jointly go in to save(colonise) them and restore good governance … ;)

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    Mute Nigel o'Neill
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    Jul 29th 2022, 8:06 AM

    Bye bye Keir

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    Mute Thomas Linehan
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    Jul 29th 2022, 9:32 AM

    Like our own labour party. Labour supposed to be pro worker.

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