A planned demonstration by members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) outside the US consulate in Chennai was halted by city police on Tuesday morning. The protest aimed to denounce US military assistance to Israel and express solidarity with pro-Palestine student encampments at Columbia University.According to police reports, a group of approximately 30 SFI cadres gathered near Stella Mary’s College on RK Salai around 10:45 am. Their intention to march towards the consulate, chanting anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans, was swiftly intercepted by a deployment of around 250 police personnel, who had anticipated the protest and erected barricades to prevent unauthorized access to the consulate.
Despite the demonstrators’ attempts to advance, police prevented their progress, detaining them approximately 200 meters from the consulate. The detained protesters were then transported to a community hall in T Nagar for questioning before being released later in the day.
The thwarted protest comes amidst heightened tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.