In a late-night operation, Chennai police detained about 1,000 conservancy workers and their supporters who had been protesting for nearly two weeks outside the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The protesters, who were forcibly removed from their protest site, were taken to community and wedding halls across the city.
The crackdown follows a Madras High Court directive that ordered authorities to clear the unauthorized protest site. Police sources stated that while the women detainees were released on Thursday morning, the men were held back, prompting the women to remain at the detention sites in solidarity.
Among those detained were lawyers and law students who were supporting the workers’ cause. Police officials on the ground are urging the detainees to continue their protest at designated sites, such as the area near Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, after obtaining the necessary permissions as per court directions.
The protest, which began against the privatization of solid waste management in two zones of the city, has seen both the government and opposition parties weigh in on the issue.