The protestors blocked the National Highway-24 at Ghaziabad and pelted stones at policemen this morning during their protest against the government initiating a process to evict them from an unauthorised colony, police sources said.

As the protest turned violent, police first resorted to lobbing teargas shells but the mob could not be brought under control.

They then opened fire in air besides resorting to lathicharge, sources said.

The traffic on the NH-24 near Ghaziabad was disrupted for some time.