Turkish Police Brace for May Day Rally(2/2)


Since the military seized power in 1980, trade union protests have been banned in the Taksim square, but some smaller civic demonstrations have been held there and trade unionists have been pressing the government to lift the ban to allow their members to commemorate those killed in 1977.

In a last minute bid to defuse the row Mr. Erdogan said a small delegation could lay a wreath at the square. But the labor unions rejected the offer. Head of one of the largest trade union confederations, Tayfun Gorgun, workers have a right to stage the May Day rally.

Gorgun says this is "our warning to the government: do not ignore the demands of 10 million workers, do not ban the May 1 celebrations that are a democratic right."

The minister of the interior says any attempts to break the government ban will be dealt with harshly. Several hundred thousand trade unionists are expected to turn up for the May Day celebrations.

参考译文：

自从1980年军方当政以后，贸易工会在塔克西姆广场的游行活动一直被禁止。但是，会在那里举行一些小型的民众游行活动，且贸易工会成员给予政府压力，要求解除禁令，允许他们纪念死于1977年事件中的工友。

埃尔多安在谈判的最后一刻作出让步，他说少数代表可以在广场上放花圈，但是工会拒绝了该提议。最大贸易工会联盟之一的领导者Tayfun Gorgun说工人有权利举行劳动节游行。

Gorgun说这是我们对政府的警告：不要忽略一千万工人的要求，不要禁止5月1日的庆祝，这是一项民主权利。

内务部长说将严惩任何试图破坏政府禁令的行为。预计，几十万贸易工会成员将出现在劳动节的庆典上。

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