Chennai: Police lathicharge anti-CAA protesters; 150 in custody

The protesters from various outfits said they were protesting peacefully in their locality when police intervened and resorted to lathicharge. “Many were injured, some were brutally beaten up,” said an eyewitness.

A senior police officer said the police force had stayed away from protest sites so far. “But this was an attempt to create a Shaheen Bagh model protest. We didn’t intervene until they declared that they will continue the protest. We tried to speak to them but it did not help. When arguments broke out, a few stones were thrown at officers. Then we had to forcefully evict them. There was no lathicharge, barring isolated cases when officers and protesters engaged in a scuffle. We will continue to handle all protests peacefully,” the officer said.

DMK President M K Stalin Saturday condemned the police action on CAA protesters.

Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man died after he was trapped during the stampede-like situation created after police used force.

While both protesters and police sources said the death had no link with the police action, the death triggered rumours, leading to protests at several other places in the city and at Madurai, Tirupur and Coimbatore.

The protesters from various outfits said they were protesting peacefully in their locality when police intervened and resorted to lathicharge. “Many were injured, some were brutally beaten up,” said an eyewitness. (Express photo: Arun Janardhanan)

“As people started running fearing a lathicharge, there was almost a stampede. A 70-year old man from Sajja Munusamy street got trapped in the crowd, collapsed and died. We have come to know that he was in the hospital and had returned home only a day before,” said one of the leaders of the protest.