Pepper spray intervention against youth in Saraçhane: They wanted to enter the municipal building

Shortly after Özel finished his speech in Saraçhane, police carried out a pepper spray intervention against young people gathered in the park across from the Saraçhane square.

Many young people affected by the gas gathered in front of the municipal building, reacting to the fact that the promise that no such intervention would take place had not been kept.

The young people, wanting to enter the municipality to avoid further exposure to the pepper spray, pounded on the windows.

In footage reported by Halktv, CHP İstanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, addressing the crowd gathered in front of the presidential entrance via megaphone, called for calm and stated, "We want to speak with representative friends" to end the chaos.

During the night, students who did not want to enter the municipal building forced the building's door, while those wanting to warm up due to the cold weather gathered around a fire that had been lit.

Speaking to the students who were trying to enter the municipal building, Çelik said:

"I will personally handle any detentions. I have given my phone number to the relevant friends. This is a timed operation; this operation was carried out so that İmamoğlu would not be a candidate. They have two goals: they do not want that ballot box to be set up, and they want to seize this place. We want to protect this place. Tomorrow, let a student come out and give a speech from the top of the bus. The bus is yours. This building is yours, friends. Come, let's defend this building from the inside together."

News Source: 12punto