Ankara : All 173 people who were detained during the May Day demonstrations in Turkey May 1, were released Monday, a media report said.
Initially 37 of them were freed by a court late Sunday while 118 others were freed early Monday, Xinhua reported citing Turkish Dogan News Agency.
The remaining 18 were also released later Monday.
A large crowd gathered outside the court house, including members of the Turkish Union of Engineers and Architects’ Chambers, the Turkish Doctors’ Union, the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions and the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions, to welcome the demonstrators.
Earlier Thursday, the Turkish government banned unions from celebrating May Day at Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square.
Riot police then stopped groups marching to the square from various districts of the city, dispersing demonstrators with tear gas and water cannon.