On March 20, 2025, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesting university students in the city of Izmir, prompting clashes.
That evening, university students from across the city gathered to protest the government’s arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and the Republican People’s Party’s candidate for the 2028 presidential elections. Video clips show police, clad in riot gear, firing tear gas canisters and water cannons directly at the protesters. Protesters wearing gas masks threw objects at the police.
The protest came amid nationwide demonstrations that began on March 19 following the arrest of İmamoğlu on factually baseless charges of corruption. University students have played a large role in the protests. By April 18, more than 2,000 individuals had been arrested, with 189 people, most of whom are university students, facing a range of charges, including attending an unauthorized demonstration and not obeying police orders to disperse; carrying weapons or covering their faces to conceal their identity; and incitement to commit a crime.
Scholars at Risk is concerned by the use of force by police to disperse students exercising freedom of expression and freedom of assembly—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. State authorities have a responsibility to refrain from restricting the nonviolent exercise of such rights. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, the improper use of force to restrict or deter nonviolent student expression undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/cqlyx2venkxo
https://www.izgazete.net/izmirde-imamoglu-protestosu-devam-ediyor-3-kisi-gozaltina-alindi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQd6dpb-FNg&ab_channel=ANINews