The Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) members occupied a Spanish language and culture center in Istanbul's downtown Beyoglu district on Wednesday, in solidarity with workers of the alcohol and tobacco monopoly Tekel.

About 50 SDP members entered the Cervantes Institute, made all staff and students leave, blocked the elevators and stairs, and hung signs from the window in support of Tekel workers, who have been protesting proposed changes to their working conditions for over two months.

The police were unable to intervene for an hour and a half because the center was property of the Spanish government until after the Spanish Consul Enriue Romeu Ramas arrived and met with the protestors for a few minutes.

The protestors demanded international recognition for the Tekel workers from the consul, but were cut short when police intervened and arrested 34 of them.

"The police used far more force than was legal," deputy head of the SDP Yesim Ergun told Xinhua, pointing out that none of the protestors had used violence.

The protest itself had not been organized before-hand, but had materialized as a "reflex of our dissatisfaction" by the SDP members, according to Ergun, adding "We consider our actions a legitimate protest."

She noted that the reason the Cervantes institute was chosen was because of Spain's neo-liberal policies and its imperialist past in Latin America were similar to what the Tekel workers were facing.

Tekel, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Salt and Alcohol Enterprises Incorporation, has been undergoing privatization since 2002 and was purchased by British American Tobacco.

Its 12,000 remaining workers have been protesting an attempt to alter their employment conditions. The protests have been garnering support from left-wing organizations nation-wide.