A protester holds a hammer and a sickle sign as he and others shield themselves from police during a May Day demonstration in Istanbul May 1, 2014. Turkish police fired water cannon and tear gas on Thursday to prevent hundreds of protesters from defying a ban on May Day rallies and reaching Istanbul's central Taksim Square, the focal point of weeks of protests last summer. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3NDAF

Protests in Istanbul send 'mayday' for Turkish democracy

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A protester holds a hammer and a sickle sign as he and others shield themselves from police during a May Day demonstration in Istanbul May 1, 2014. Turkish police fired water cannon and tear gas on Thursday to prevent hundreds of protesters from defying a ban on May Day rallies and reaching Istanbul's central Taksim Square, the focal point of weeks of protests last summer. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3NDAF

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