00:00Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul to protest against the arrest
00:06of the city's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
00:09The rally was called by İmamoğlu's Republican People's Party, which has encouraged people
00:14to rally against his arrest across Turkey.
00:17İmamoğlu, widely seen as the main political challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
00:2222-year rule, was jailed on the 23rd of March pending trial on corruption charges.
00:29Critics say the charges are politically motivated, but the government insists the judiciary is
00:33independent and free of political interference.
00:38The interior ministry said that nearly 1,900 people have been arrested following mass protests
00:43since İmamoğlu's initial detention on the 19th of March.
00:49Earlier this week, 11 journalists were detained in morning raids, a move that's been criticized
00:54by press freedom groups.
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