Hundreds arrested in crackdown on May Day protests in Istanbul1 day ago Share Save Megan Fisher BBC News Reporting from London Orla Guerin • @OrlaGuerin Senior International correspondent Reporting from Istanbul Share SaveReutersHundreds 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. 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. Taksim Square – the heart of Istanbul – was under a tight lock down, with police and metal barriers along all roads leading to the area.