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Protest against Adani port escalates; cops attacked in KeralaHundreds of agitators barged into the Vizhinjam police station attacked police vehicles and damaged police station property
Arjun Raghunath
DHNS
Last Updated IST
As per initial reports, around 30 police personnel suffered injuries. Credit: iStock Images
As per initial reports, around 30 police personnel suffered injuries. Credit: iStock Images

Several police personnel was injured in an attack by agitators against the Adani Vizhinjam international seaport project on Sunday evening.

Hundreds of agitators barged into the Vizhinjam police station, around 20 km from the city, attacked police vehicles and damaged police station property.

As per initial reports, around 30 police personnel suffered injuries.

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The attack was said to be provoked by the arrest of five persons in connection with the protests on Saturday and the decision to prosecute Latin Catholic Thiruvananthapuram archbishop Antony J Netto and other senior priests.

Thiruvananthapuram district collector Geromic George held discussions with representatives of the church till late in the night to ease the tension.

The police maintained utmost restraint as any action against the coastal community, mainly comprising fishermen, could have led to major law and order problems.

Media persons who were present at the site also came under attack.

One person was arrested and a few others were taken into custody over the violent protests that took place outside the construction site in Vizhinjam on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the state government has prohibited the sale of alcohol in Vizhinjam police station limits.

Case against agitators

According to sources, nine cases were registered against the agitators, while one was registered against a forum that has been staging a counter-demonstration backing the port project.

Both sections clashed near the project site on Saturday after the agitators blocked trucks carrying construction materials.

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(Published 28 November 2022, 00:28 IST)