Kozhikode: The city witnessed a series of protests, attacks and arrests in connection with the ‘Kiss in the Street’ campaign on Sunday.
The main show was centred round the ‘New bus stand, where a massive crowd gathered to witness the love scenes.
Youngsters who came in a procession were abused by anti-kissing activists. Noted screenplay writer Didi Damodaran and husband Prem Chand were attacked by Hanuman Sena members when they were attending a programme along with some youths at Mittayitheruvu, another corner of the city, expressing solidarity with the campaigners.
A total of 65 persons, including 14 women, were arrested, and let off later. Among them, 35 were participants of the love stir, including 13 women.
The others were workers of Hanuman Sena including its leaders Purushothaman and Bhakthavalsalan, and Siva Sena outfits, who included one woman.
The agitators entered the bus stand, merged with the crowd and later appeared in groups. The crowd ran hither and thither whenever there was a movement of youths in some corner of the bus station, creating headache for police as well as passengers.
By 2. 40 p.m, a group of youngsters, including girls, started a procession from the Mavoor Road to the bus stand shouting slogans and holding 'heart-shaped' balloons. "The crowd was showering abuses on us," said Divya, a participant.
"The majority of them seemed to be religious fanatics, anti-social elements and sexual perverts," she said and added that the police were in utter confusion.
The police force numbering less than 100 in the beginning caned away the crowd several times whenever it turned violent.
The scene was repeated many times as small groups of youth continued to sprout up from nowhere shouting slogans and asserting their right to sit, hug and kiss in public.
The curious crowd gathered around every young woman wearing jeans top, took their pictures on mobile phones and showered abuses on them.
The police used force to remove the agitators from the scene till twilight. The police acted with restraint till the mob turned violent. By evening the 'Kiss in the Street' spread out into the streets with small groups appearing in various parts of the city.
