Police violence against university students in Ankara Police use force to break up protests at a university in Turkey’s capital Police used pepper spray, plastic pellets and water cannon against protesters in Turkey’s capital early Thursday, the latest clash in the country’s biggest antigovernment protests in over a decade. The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges many see as politically motivated and is also accused of supporting terrorism. The government insists the judiciary is independent, but critics say the evidence is based on secret witnesses and lacks credibility. Early Thursday, student demonstrators tried to march and gathered to read a statement near the gates at Middle East Technical University, pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV and local media reported. They were met by security forces who deployed pepper spray, water cannon and plastic pellets. A standoff ensued where the students hid behind a barricade of dumpsters until the police charged to detain them. Advertisement A man wears a banner featuring a photo of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as he and others protest outside the Vatan Security Department, where Imamoglu is expected to be taken following his arrest in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) World & Nation Turkish police arrest Istanbul mayor, a key Erdogan rival, as government crackdown escalates March 19, 2025 Melih Meric, a legislator with Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party or CHP, was seen soaked with water and suffering from pepper spray exposure. “My student friends only wanted to make a press statement, but the police strictly did not allow it, this is the result,” Meric said in social media videos. Nearly 1,900 arrested Interior Minister Ali Yerkikaya said Thursday that nearly 1,900 people have been arrested over eight days of massive protests across the country. He said that 1,879 suspects were detained, including 260 who were jailed pending trial. A further 468 were released under judicial control while their cases continue. Proceedings are ongoing for 662 other people. Advertisement The minister said some faced charges for drug offenses and assault, adding that 150 police officers had been injured. He did not specify the nature of other charges but offenses such as resisting police and not complying with a ban on protests and gatherings have been cited previously. Demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of largely peaceful protesters have swept across major cities, including opposition-organized rallies outside Istanbul City Hall. Other major protests have been held in Istanbul’s districts of Kadikoy and Sisli districts in recent days. Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) World & Nation Turkey detains journalists as protests grow over the jailing of key Erdogan rival March 24, 2025 Some demonstrations have been marred by violence as police used water cannons, tear gas, plastic pellets and pepper spray to break up protests that have been banned in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Advertisement Police continued to carry out house raids targeting protesters Thursday morning. Most of those detained in their homes appear to belong to left-wing parties, trade unions and civil society groups. Eleven journalists were arrested and sent to jail Wednesday after covering the protests. At least eight were released under judicial control a day later, the Media and Law Studies Assn. said, but still face charges relating to the protests. Turkey’s broadcasting authority, meanwhile, issued a 10-day airwave ban on opposition-supported channel Sozcu TV, the station said. The penalty was issued for “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” during broadcasts leading up to Imamoglu’s imprisonment. Radio and Television Supreme Council member Ilhan Tasci said that other channels backing the opposition were fined and handed program suspensions over their protest coverage. A protester holds up a Turkish flag during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra) World & Nation In Turkey, prosecutors request formal arrest of Istanbul mayor, Erdogan’s top challenger, amid mass protests March 22, 2025 BBC reporter Mark Lowen was deported from Turkey following his arrest Wednesday, the British news broadcaster said. He was detained at his hotel and held for 17 hours before being issued a notice describing him as a “threat to public order,” according to a BBC statement Thursday. Mayor and more than 100 others pending trial Imamoglu,