This story is from January 23, 2017

Jallikattu protests ease across Tamil Nadu, uneasy calm at Chennai's Marina Beach

The scene at the Marina resembled that of a curfew zone with the roads leading to the protest venue blocked off by the police from all sides. The police lathicharged with vengeance whenever they ran into a rioter.
Jallikattu protests ease across Tamil Nadu, uneasy calm at Chennai's Marina Beach
Police remove protesters at Marina Beach. (TOI photo by A Prathap)
Key Highlights
  • In Chennai, riots marred the image of the student-backed demonstrations
  • Protests were called off in Trichy, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts in the morning itself
CHENNAI: Calm returned to the Marina Beach and other protest venues across Tamil Nadu on Monday evening after a week-long intense pro-jallikattu agitation was brought under 'enforced control' by the state police.
In Chennai, riots marred the image of the student-backed demonstrations. “Vested interest groups” escalated the situation by pelting stones and hurling petrol bombs at the riot control police.

The scene at the Marina resembled that of a curfew zone with the roads leading to the protest venue blocked off by the police from all sides. The police lathicharged with vengeance whenever they ran into a rioter.
Miscreants set fire to the Ice House police station while many vehicles were burnt to ashes in the ensuing violence. As many as 140 policemen were hurt in the riots with at least 100 rioters also being injured.
Protesters clashed with police at Parthasarathy Temple arch near Marina. They set tyres on fire and threw them at the police. They threw petrol bombs too. A car was set on fire. Police used teargas to disperse the protesters.
Teenagers standing on the elevated MRTS tracks were throwing stones at police personnel below at Bharathi Salai near Marina Beach. After 90-minute clash, police detained at least 10 teenagers.

Clashes broke out on Avvai Shanmugam Salai in Royapettah. Police lathicharged protesters in some places of the city. Protesters hurled petrol bombs at police deployed near Presidency College.
On Monday, Marina Beach had morphed from a 'peaceful protest' zone to a full blown riot zone.
In the midst of this violence, Tamil Nadu assembly passed a bill to amend Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to replace an ordinance the state government had promulgated on Saturday. The ordinance enabled the conduct of jallikattu .
The state government invited representatives from the protests to witness the passing of the bill first hand following which statements were made for the crowd to disperse. However, some protesters refused to leave. As many as 2,000 people still sat near the shore.
The city witnessed agitation in other parts too. Protesters damaged MTC buses and police vehicles. Almost all roads in the city experienced huge traffic jams, and schools closed early. MRTS train services between Chennai Beach and Velachery were suspended to stop the flow of people to Marina Beach.
Madurai rural police held talks with a section of protesters at Alanganallur in the morning. They decided to call off the protest and conduct jallikattu on February 1. However, another section of protesters continued the protest. Clashes erupted when police forced them to vacate the protest venue. Police lathicharged the protesters.
Tension prevailed on Tamukkam Ground in Madurai city. Protesters refused to leave the venue. However, they started dispersing in the afternoon. Only a few hundred remained at the venue by the evening, and they too left by night.
Protests were called off in Trichy, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts in the morning itself.
Tension prevailed in Coimbatore after police evicted protesters from VOC Park ground. However, the students refused to go home and continued to protest. Police detained 940 protesters and released all of them by evening.
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