Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival Ekrem İmamoglu was officially arrested and remanded in custody this morning on “corruption” charges and will be held in Silivri prison. Millions took to the streets of Turkey, clashes took place in Saraçhane, Istanbul and mark the fifth night of massive anti-government protests. The Saraçhane district has become a hotbed of protest, located just a few kilometers from Taksim Square, which demonstrators are still trying to reach, but are blocked by heavy police barricades maintained around the clock. The forces of order violently repressed the protesters, beating them with truncheons and kicking them, while trying to prevent people from filming, they made abundant use of tear gas. Throughout the night, calls for the police to join the ranks of the anti-Erdogan demonstrators were chanted: “Policeman, revolt too!” Law enforcement agencies made several hundred arrests in at least nine cities across the country, and the authorities asked the social network X to close more than 700 opponent accounts, a request the platform opposed.