Violence erupted last Thursday after Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison. Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, is President Macky Sall's fiercest opponent.
He did not attend the trial and took refuge in the south of the country. In March, he was given a six-month suspended sentence for defamation and insulting Tourism Minister Mami Mbaye Niang. He maintains his innocence and considers the case a conspiracy orchestrated by the president, who denies it.