Wandering the tangle of narrow side streets that stretch from Tunel to Taksim, every corner I turn reveals the same scene: people, eating, outside.

BBC: Cultural encounters in Istanbul

But unions and youth groups say that Taksim is the historic site of May 1 activities and that they have a right to demonstrate there.

CNN: Turkish police tear gas Labor Day protesters

The governorate refused to grant permission to trade unions and youth groups for demonstrations in Taksim Square due to a large scale construction project in the area.

CNN: Turkish police tear gas Labor Day protesters

So we've seen these street demonstrations erupting almost spontaneously around Turkey starting yesterday, and even today I ran across these high school students who were chanting in Istanbul's central Taksim Square.

NPR: Turkish Government Feels Pressure to Hit Kurds

"Erdogan showed that he will never compromise, and that he will never listen to the people here, " said Doga Oktem, 25, director of an art center, at Taksim square on Sunday, one of protesters gathered in Taksim Square.

WSJ: Turkish Protesters Return to the Streets