A rally was organised by Confederation of Public Laborers' Trade Unions (KESK), Confederation of Progressive Unions (DİSK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and Amed (Diyarbakır) Medical Chamber with the slogan "We are in the fields on May Day for freedom of labour and democratic society".

 

Thousands of workers gathered in front of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO). Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Partu Co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan and KESK Co-chair Ahmet Karagöz also joined the cortege. "No passage to the exploitation of labour. Continue the struggle. Long live May Day", "We are the ones who are thrown out, we are the ones who resist, we will be the ones who win", "We are not silent for the freedom of labour and democratic society", "We will build a democratic society with our organised struggle", "We will not be servants to the power and slaves to the capital" and "The fire of resistance rising with labour is marching to freedom" banners were carried.

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG) and DİSK Basın-İş took their place in the cortege with the banner "Free press, democratic society". The crowd frequently chanted "Bijî yek Gulan (Long live May Day)" slogan.

 

The crowd then marched towards Station Square. During the march, the slogans "Bijî yek Gûlan", "Bijî berxwedana ketkeran (Long live resistance of workers)", "Jin, jiyan, azadî (Woman, life, freedom)", "Be serok jiyan nabe (Without Leader there is no life)", "Bijî serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)" and "This is just the beginning, continue the struggle" were chanted. The crowd also sang the anthem "Çarxa Şoreşe" in unison during the march.

 

The rally started with a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom and democracy.

 

Sabahat Sever, Co-chair of the Amed Branch of the DISK-General Labour Union, stated that labour must be organised for freedom. KESK Co-chair Ahmet Karagöz wished Sırrı Sureyya Onder a speedy recovery. Karagöz said, "This rostrum is the rostrum of workers, labourers and all oppressed peoples. It is the rostrum of those who demand a scientific, democratic and autonomous university."

 

Pointing out that fundamental rights and freedoms are being abolished one by one, Karagöz referred to the process that started after Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" on 27 Febryary. Karagöz said, "We will never allow the peace process to be delayed. We promise that we will fulfil all our responsibilities in the peace process. We fing the steps and negotiations on the solution of the Kurdish question valuable. We clearly know that when we establish peace in these lands, it will contribute to the tables and economy of labourers. We say peace right now."

 

"We demand a geography where equal citizenship and peace prevail," said Karagöz and added: "We raise our demand for public services in the mother tongue, where our children do not go to school hungry, where educations is not regressive. Everyone demands what they need, so what we need most is peace. Today, we are at these platforms for the peoples to be together in peace. We are here for our resources to be allocated to free, accessible, qualified public services in mother tongue, not to the use of UCAVs."

 

After the speeches, artist Kasım Taşdoğan took the stage. The participants of the rally danced to Taşdoğan's songs.