Istanbul witnessed one of the largest mass demonstrations in the country’s history today, Saturday, as millions gathered in Maltepe Square to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Organized by the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, the protest became a collective outcry for justice and freedom.

Party leader Ugur Ozal stated that participation reached two million two hundred thousand people, with demonstrators arriving from across the country.

The Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe criticized Imamoglu’s arrest, noting Turkey’s drift away from democratic values.