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Large numbers of riot police accompanied protesters around Istanbul's city hall on Monday night, as crowds chanted and waved Turkish flags.

Ahead of Friday's protests, Istanbul's pro-Erdogan governor has ordered the closure of the Galata and Ataturk bridges, both of which cross the Golden Horn estuary to where city hall is located.

Tens of thousands gathered outside Istanbul's city hall on Wednesday.

Osada rebuilt the eatery on higher ground, near the location of the old city hall.

Down the road, outside the city hall, a giant banner with a photo of Assad was taken down; another had his face riddled with bullets, and for whatever reason was being kept there.