Seoul: More than 12,000 people gathered outside a court to support impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as he underwent a hearing on whether to place him under formal arrest over his short-lived imposition of martial law, police said. Yoon was brought to the Seoul Western District Court shortly before the 2 p.m. hearing in a motorcade escorted from a detention center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, where he has been held since Wednesday night.

According to Yonhap News Agency, an estimated 12,100 people had been rallying outside the court as of 3:20 p.m., chanting Yoon’s name and waving the South Korean and U.S. flags. Some broke down in tears, while others engaged in minor scuffles with police officers. The rally became increasingly heated as protesters tried to push past police officers and enter the court grounds, shouting, “Open the court entrance,” and “I have to see the president’s face.”

Police broadcast repeated warnings that their actions could lead to their arrest or trigger a crowd crush.