Students, cops hurt as SFI march turns violent

A protest march taken out by the CPI(M)'s youth wing SFI against the UDF Government's move to grant autonomy to several colleges in Kerala turned violent today, resulting in injuries to some student activists and police personnel, police said.
Police lobbed teargas shells and used water cannons to quell the protesters as they regrouped near the University college in the heart of the city after being dispersed from near the Legislature complex to where the march was taken out.
Police said six students and as many police personnel were admitted to hospital with minor injuries.
The trouble began when the marchers attempted to break the barricades put up by police near the assembly complex. As they persisted, police lobbed teargas shells and used water cannons to force them to move away from the spot.

The marchers then regrouped near the University College campus and allegedly pelted stones at police personnel, deployed in strength to deal with the situation.
Leaders of SFI and CPI(M) alleged that repression was let loose on students by police without any provocation.
They also accused police of having entered the compound of the Government Sanskrit College, in violation of the rule that restricted entry of police into campuses without being summoned by principals.