The government's endless blockade surrounded the heart of Taksim with barriers, the squares were closed: Even the statue is 'captive'

Taksim Square, one of the symbol areas of Istanbul, is surrounded by barriers on certain days. The restrictions, which were brought to the agenda again with the protests that started after the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025, brought access to the square into question again. The square is not closed every day; However, stopping transportation, blocking roads and preventing demonstrations on the dates of protests make public space dependent on administrative decisions.

MEMORY OF MAY 1

There is May 1 in the history of the bans on Taksim. After the massacre that took place during the celebrations in 1977 and went down in history as "Bloody May 1", the square remained closed to workers' rallies for years. The return, which started with limited participation in 2009, continued with mass celebrations in 2010, 2011 and 2012. However, in 2013, the celebrations were not allowed, citing the landscaping works in the square. In the following years, the unions' demands for Taksim were rejected, and the police intervened in the groups that wanted to march to the square.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the right to organize meetings and demonstrations was violated in the applications of unions to prevent May 1 celebrations in Taksim in 2014 and 2015. The court pointed out that the administration could not present a real danger for the ban, and that pointing to other areas could neutralize the exercise of the right. However, requests to open the square on May 1 were not met.

BARRIER TO PROTESTS

The restrictions in Taksim are not limited to May 1 only. Since the start of the Gezi Park resistance in 2013, the square has been one of the addresses of political protests and social demands. Police barriers were set up on the anniversaries of the Gezi protests, pride marches and other protests; Surrounding streets, public transportation stops and pedestrian crossings were closed at certain hours.

Barriers were placed in Taksim again in the protests that started after the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on March 19, 2025. Access to the square was limited and restrictions were applied on transportation lines. After days of precautions, similar practices were repeated on dates such as May 1 and the anniversary of Gezi. Thus, the "temporary" decisions created a picture in which the square was closed again during the protests.

It cannot be said that Taksim is always closed. However, while citizens can use the square in their daily lives, they may encounter barriers when they want to exercise their right to assembly and demonstration. This situation strengthens the criticism that not only the physical access of the square but also its historical and social function is limited.

A similar practice took place in Çağlayan Square in front of the Istanbul Courthouse. The barriers placed around the courthouse after March 19, 2025 were not removed for months. Lawyer Rights Group applied to the Istanbul Governorship on December 2, 2025 to end the practice, which lasted approximately eight months. The long-term barrier application in Çağlayan was later removed.