Protesters again break barricades, enter port

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the high court interim order directed to provide necessary police protection for Adani Group to continue the work of Vizhinjam port, hundreds of protesters entered the port breaking barricades, leading to a clash with police.
Four police officers were injured in the clash and they were admitted to medical college hospital. Police had placed barricades at two places after the high court order to prevent protesters from entering the site. However, they broke the barricades raising flags and chanting slogans and entered inside even on Friday.
Meanwhile, on Friday the Samara Samithi decided to hold an indefinite hunger strike from Monday as part of intensifying the protests. Former archbishop of Trivandrum Latin archdiocese M Soosa Pakiam will undertake a hunger strike on Monday and various bishops and religious leaders will continue the hunger strike in the coming days.
The protesting fisherfolk have been turning violent for the last four days, and police personnel getting injured has become a common affair, said police. “We suspect it as a deliberate movement to provoke police and to create a law and order situation. Today, protesters used the stems of flags to assault police,” said a police officer.
Eugine H Periera, general convener of Samara Samithi, said that they cannot turn back on the protests unless the state government stops the port construction for a scientific study to assess the social and environmental impact.
“We will protest peacefully in front of the port as we have the right to do so. Even the high court admitted it in the interim order passed on Thursday. Sea erosion was there even before but it was not as drastic as it is now. Seven layers of houses on the shores were engulfed by the sea. The government is just thinking of gains but the profit will have to be shelled out to cure the disastrous effect of the port in future. The living condition of the fisherfolk is pathetic and the state government cannot turn a blind eye to it,” said Periera.