32 dead after rally bloodbath

Press, 3 May 1977, Page 8

32 dead after rally bloodbath

NZPA-Reuter Istanbul. A huge May Day rally in, Istanbul on Sunday turned in-i to a bloodbath, at least 32; persons being killed and 200: injured, and the Turkish; Government said after a Cabi-I (net meeting yesterday that: [necessary security measures' 'were being taken. ! Though, the official death! toll was put at 32, hospitals reported 39 dead, and ob-l servers expect the final toll| to be higher. Even so, the death toll was already the! [highest for such an incident [in modern Turkish history. I Some 150.000 people jam[med Taksim Square, and as [union leaders began to address them, snipers. opened fire from nearby buildings. The crowd erupted. People [screamed and struggled to; reach cover. The police let off'; smoke bombs to confuse the aim of the snipers, and fired back at the rooftops. Pitched battles broke out. Left-wing unionist organisers of the rally were attacked by ultra-Leftists, many of whom regard themselves as Maoists. Fists, sticks, and: knives were used. Para-military gendarmes!

mioved in to quell the violence. After two hours of .pandemonium the area was [littered with debris. Winjdows of hotels and office [buildings were smashed by [bullets and rocks. [ Some 200 people were deItained. The Governor of Istanbul said that some of them [had been caught carrying [guns and explosives. * Violence marked May Day [labour celebrations in other [centres: In Madrid, Rome, [and Athens, the police used [tear-gas, smoke-bombs, and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations; in Colombo, Sri Lanka, policemen shot and wounded 30 persons involved in clashes; in Melbourne. Australia, a Victorian union leader was taken to hospital, and several others iwere hurt in a brawl.