CHENNAI: Protests at Chennai's Marina Beach in support of bull-taming festival Jallikattu, peaceful for five days, turned violent today as hundreds resisted the police who arrived at 5 am in large numbers and physically removed protesters. Some people were injured in clashes with the police in and around the beach. Protesters standing in a chain edged closer to the sea and threw stones at the police, who used batons and tear gas to control the crowd. The protesters had yesterday threatened to block Republic Day celebrations despite the state government's ordinance or special order bypassing a Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu.
The police arrived on the beach in the morning with orders to remove the protesters if they refused to leave. They reportedly showed a copy of the ordinance to the protesters, who have demanded a more permanent solution.
As the protesters asked for time, the police blocked all roads to the beach and started removing large groups, mainly of women and children.
The beach, where around 15,000 had gathered at the height of protests last week, was mostly clear within hours.
Some protesters claimed that pregnant women were pushed as the police used force on the people.
Denying the use of excess force, a senior police officer told reporters, "We requested them to leave two-three times. Some of them were willing to go, but the rest said they wanted more time."
On Sunday, Jallikattu returned to parts of the state following the state government's ordinance. Three men were killed during the celebrations.
Two men were gored to death by a bull at Pudukottai, where the event was inaugurated by state Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar. A third man reportedly died of thirst at another event.
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was to open the government's official Jallikattu event at Madurai's Alanganallur, around 400 km from Chennai, but people refused to allow it, demanding that the ban be permanently gone.
The ordinance has to be cleared within six months for it to become law. Mr Panneerselvam has promised that it will be passed in the assembly session which begins today.
Jallikattu, in which young men wrestle with a bull in an open field during the harvest festival of Pongal, was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014. Last year, the Centre allowed the sport, but that decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The court has agreed to not deliver its verdict this week after the centre pointed out that a decision could create law and order problems.
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