Those who lost their lives in the 1977 massacre were commemorated in Taksim ahead of May 1st

Led by DİSK, KESK, TMMOB, and the Turkish Medical Association, a large number of individuals and labor organizations gathered in Taksim ahead of May 1st Labor and Solidarity Day to commemorate the workers who lost their lives in the Bloody May 1st of 1977 and in subsequent years. During the commemoration events organized in Istanbul's Taksim, Şişhane, and Kadıköy districts, the 41 workers who lost their lives in Taksim in 1977, 17-year-old Mehmet Akif Dalcı, who was killed by police fire while walking from Şişhane to Taksim in 1989, and the three workers who lost their lives in Kadıköy in 1996 were remembered by reading their names.

''THIS SQUARE IS MAY 1ST SQUARE''

Speaking at the ceremony, DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu emphasized that Taksim is important not only for commemorating past losses but also for growing the struggle waged today and the hopes for tomorrow. Çerkezoğlu said, "Today, we are not only remembering the past here. We have also met to defend the power of labor, unity, and solidarity."

Çerkezoğlu stated that the efforts in 1977 to suppress the voice of the working class and turn the square into a symbol of fear were unsuccessful. She expressed her reaction to the Taksim ban with the words, "This square is the memory of the workers, women, youth, that is, the people. It is our unity, our solidarity, and the struggle itself. This square is May 1st Square."

In his speech, KESK Co-Chair Ahmet Karagöz said that those targeted in 1977 were not just the participants in the square, but the common struggle of workers and society. Karagöz stated, "On that day, the voice of labor, equality, peace, and democracy rose in this square. Those who wanted to silence this voice attacked, but our losses were never defeated."

Pointing out that the perpetrators of the massacre have still not been brought to light, the statements emphasized that solidarity must be increased in factories, schools, and squares.

Speaking on behalf of the Turkish Medical Association, Prof. Dr. Pınar Saip commemorated 17-year-old Mehmet Akif Dalcı, who lost his life to police fire in 1989, and stated that child labor and work-related homicides remain a serious problem. Drawing attention to the fact that many child laborers and workers lost their lives in their workplaces last year, Saip called for the creation of safe working environments and independent inspection mechanisms. Stating that the right to health is not limited to hospitals, Saip emphasized that this could be possible with a fair income distribution and a democratic social order.

In the commemoration program, participants reiterated that May 1st continues to be a day of struggle and solidarity for workers and society. It was emphasized that orders and bans cannot prevent the forgotten of the laborers who lost their lives, and that the collective memory will be kept alive in squares and commemorations. The call for all laborers to meet on May 1st for their rights was renewed.

News Source: 12punto