May Day commemorated with crippling strike in Greece, clashes in Istanbul

01/05/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Public transport came to a standstill on Thursday (May 1st) as thousands of workers in the sector joined a nationwide strike to coincide with May Day. National air carrier Olympic Airlines, ships and railways closed, stranding thousands of tourists. Bus and trolley workers in Athens also joined the protest, while subway workers planned work stoppages of their own. The unions are protesting the government's new pension system reforms, which they claim will reduce their benefits.

Also Thursday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd that gathered in Istanbul's central business and residential area of Sisli to mark May Day. Officials warned on Wednesday that police would use force against protestors. Turkey banned all May Day demonstrations after an incident on May 1st 1977, when gunmen fired into a crowd in Istanbul, killing 36. (Sky, Antena, DPA, Zaman, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan - 01/05/08; Reuters - 30/04/08)