Chennai: Once bitten twice shy. Acting swiftly to prevent a jallikattu-type crisis on Marina, Chennai police on Saturday bundled out a handful of Cauvery protesters before their mobile WhatsAapp could gather huge crowds and swaying placards.
A total of 15 slogan-shouting demonstrators were driven away in police vans to the nearby police sta-tion.
Following the information of imminent protest on Marina, the Chennai police cordoned off the beach with huge police deployment from Saturday morning, after calls for protest circulated on social media. However, heavy police presence did not deter the protesters, as they visited the beach separately like 'innocuous' beach-goers.
The flash protest commenced around 4 pm when a group of youngsters raised placards and shouted against the Union and state governments' indifference in forming the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as per the Supreme Court order. Seeing protesting youngsters, many visitors including women and college students joined them. The protesters also raised the slogans against Sterlite Copper.
Some social media platforms also streamed the demonstration 'live'. “I have just to come to spend time at the beach. The scene was reminiscent of jallikattu protest in January 2017. “On seeing the protest of some 'friends', I too joined them. Water is more important than jallikattu,” a protester said.
Due to the flash protest, many visitors had to face the stringent police action who allowed them only after enquires. “I have come with my friends to enjoy the holiday. But the police started questioning me as I was wearing a black shirt,” a visitor said.
However, the police said that the 'organisers' had been circulating information about the protest. “Protests are banned in Marina Beach, so the department had taken precautionary measures,” a police source said.
Meanwhile, the police arrested as many as 15 youngsters for protesting and dispersed others. Police sources also said that the department would collect social media links of the protesters.
