Students from several universities in Istanbul attempted to hold a march in protest against the detaining of the city’s opposition-member mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.

The students attempted to stage a protest march from Istanbul University, but were met with police barricades, Cumhuriyet daily reports.

Also, police used force and dispersed the student march.

Police detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Wednesday. He has been charged on two separate counts.

Imamoglu is the main rival of current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the next presidential election.