Hundreds arrested in crackdown on May Day protests in Istanbul

More than 50,000 police officers are deployed to the Turkish capital and public transport is shut down.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveHundreds arrested in crackdown on May Day protests in Istanbul21 hours agoShareSaveMegan FisherBBC NewsReporting fromLondonOrla GuerinSenior International correspondent•@OrlaGuerinReporting fromIstanbulShareSaveReutersHundreds of people have been arrested in Istanbul, with 50,000 police officers deployed to the city as authorities attempt to crack down on May Day protests.

Public transport was shut down to stop people reaching Taksim Square, where demonstrations have been banned since 2013.

Footage showed clashes between riot police and protesters with demonstrators chanting as police forcefully move detainees onto buses.

The city saw huge protests in March after the arrest of the opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu - the main rival to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On 1 May each year, marches led by workers and unions are held as part of International Labour Day celebrations in many countries.