Turkish riot police use tear gas and rubber bullets as demonstrators protest for a second night outside Istanbul City Hall. The demonstration was prompted by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a bribery and terrorism investigation, AFP reported.

The influential and popular Imamoglu - who is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival - was detained before dawn on March 19, just days before he was to be announced as his Republican People's Party's (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

Imamoglu called on the nation and the judiciary to resist what his party described as a political "coup." 

On March 20, as thousands gathered under tight security, a handful of students tried to break through the barriers, sparking clashes with police who fired rubber bullets.

An AFP correspondent reported that police "used rubber bullets and a lot of tear gas."

It was not clear if anyone was injured.

Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition party, the RNP, warned police against provoking demonstrators by firing tear gas or rubber bullets.

"If that happens, the Istanbul police will be held responsible," he warned.

For the second night in a row, thousands of people defied the ban on protests and gathered outside City Hall to express their anger at Imamoglu's detention. 

"Mayor Ekrem is not involved in corruption nor terror. He is neither a thief nor a terrorist," Ozel said, warning Erdogan that the protests would not stop.

"I have not filled this square and these streets. You did. They are full because of you," he added. | BGNES