In Dakar's working class district of Medina, hundreds of young people fought running street battles with riot police and smoke rose from burning tyres at makeshift barricades in the capital city.
Protestors chanted "Free Sonko" on the main Blaise Diagne avenue, the ground strewn with stones, grenade cartridges and burning debris.
In Mbao, in the city's outer suburbs, looters also ransacked a French chain Auchan supermarket, an AFP correspondent at the scene said. The chain says least 14 stores have been attacked during this week's unrest.
The arrest of Sonko, popular with young people and seen as a key challenger to President Macky Sall, has sparked the worst unrest in years in a West African state often heralded as a beacon of stability.
At least one person has been killed in protests, shops attacked and cars torched on the streets of Dakar since Sonko was first arrested on Wednesday.
His supporters had called for further protests to coincide with his hearing before a judge on Friday on charges of disturbing order.
"Sonko has been returned to custody over the matter of disturbing public order," attorney Etienne Ndione told reporters after the hearing.
Tensions were high in the city with hefty police deployments in place around the law courts, presidential palace and National Assembly in the heart of the city.
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