A total of 12 suspects who participated in the May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day demonstrations at the Bozdoğan Aqueduct in Fatih Saraçhane, and were determined to be involved in crimes such as “violation of the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations”, “resisting a public official”, and “damaging public property” were detained in an operation conducted throughout the city by the Security Branch teams of the Police Department.
Following a health check, the 12 individuals were taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan, where they were handed over to the Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Bureau. After their statements were taken, the suspects were referred to the duty magistrate for possible arrest.
Following the questioning by the magistrate, 11 of the suspects were arrested. The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office is continuing its investigation into the incident that took place at the Bozdoğan Aqueduct in Fatih Saraçhane during the May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day demonstrations, where suspects attempted to move towards Taksim Square and attacked the police.
The Prosecutor’s Office has stated that the suspects were identified through security camera footage and images published in the press. Despite the decision to establish a security line in the Saraçhane Surönü area and to ban demonstrations and marches in Taksim on May 1, the suspects were found to have acted as a group, throwing stones, sticks, and other objects at the police and resisting their orders.
As a result of the events, seven police officers were injured, and numerous police shields, walkie-talkies, helmets, gas masks, and a shotgun were damaged. The suspects, whose actions were captured on camera, were identified as Serdar Oğuz, Bilal Faruk Başaran, Bayram Metin Coşkun, Serkan Uşak, and Çağla Tanışlar, who were seen attacking the police with stick-like objects or other items.
A total of 49 suspects were arrested in connection with the May 1 demonstrations, with 11 individuals being detained following their involvement in the violence. This brings the total number of arrests to 49, with 38 suspects being remanded in custody following their appearance before a magistrate at the Istanbul Courthouse, while the remaining 27 were released on bail.
The May 1 demonstrations in Istanbul saw a total of 217 suspects detained for attempting to reach Taksim Square and attacking the police. Following further investigations, 30 additional suspects were identified through video footage and facial recognition software and taken into police custody. Overall, the authorities continue to pursue legal action against those involved in the violent incidents during the Labor and Solidarity Day demonstrations.
