Keralam govt. increases DA, DR from 35% to 37%

Politics

50 AISA members, activists detained during protest against SIR at Town Hall

You don’t have any Active Subscription. Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Your active subscription(s) Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Products you've access to Additional Subscription Benefits Need help with your subscription? Updated - October 17, 2026 10:28 pm IST - Bengaluru Activists being detained by the police during a protest near K.R. Circle in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J. Around 50 members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and social activists were detained by the police on Saturday when they gathered to stage a protest at Town Hall, demanding the scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This comes days after protesters against SIR were detained while marching to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka. Protesters and journalists were manhandled, drawing sharp criticism, which prompted both Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Home Minister Priyank Kharge to order a review of the police handling of the protests. The Home Minister said he had told the police not to disrupt peaceful protests. The protesters gathered near Town Hall, where a heavy police force had been deployed and barricades erected to prevent them from holding the demonstration. The police bundled the protesters into two buses and took them to the CAR Grounds on Mysore Road in Chamarajpet, where they were detained for some time before being released. The protest came after the S.J. Park police rejected the organisers’ request to hold a demonstration outside Town Hall, citing Karnataka High Court guidelines restricting protests and rallies to Freedom Park. The police said the organisers could hold the protest at Freedom Park after obtaining the necessary permission and complying with the applicable legal requirements. “The Bengaluru police have formally rejected our intimation to protest at Town Hall,” an AISA Karnataka member said. But the protesters gathered in front of Town Hall anyway, only to be detained. The organisers and activists criticised the State government, alleging double standards over its handling of peaceful demonstrations. They questioned the government’s position, claiming that while the Home Minister had spoken in favour of peaceful protests and condemned police action against protesters in Delhi, the police had prevented their demonstration in Bengaluru. City-based social activist and advocate Narasimhamurthy criticised the police action and said the agitation would continue until the protesters’ demands were met. Published - October 17, 2026 10:27 pm IST Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

The Hindu·4 hours ago·2 min read

Politics

Breach of peace a ‘ploy’ to make detentions, says plea in SC

Academician Apoorvanand Jha argued that if every call for a peaceful protest is considered a breach of peace by the authorities, no citizen can ever exercise the right of public demonstration

The Hindu·5 hours ago·5 min read

Politics

Cars torched, shops looted: Violence protests erupt across France; over 270 arrested

France's interior ministry reported “a growing number of violent incidents” across the country, including assaults on police officers, looting and damage to public buildings. Several people were injured in clashes. More than 270 people were arrested across France on Saturday as protests over rising living costs turned violent. Cars were set ablaze, shops looted, and police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. Videos from Paris showed protesters climbing a statue to unfurl an anti-police banner, burnt-out vehicles near a major protest square and officers charging demonstrators with batons as the “yellow vest” movement returned to the streets.France's interior ministry reported “a growing number of violent incidents” across the country, including assaults on police officers, looting and damage to public buildings. Several people were injured in clashes. Protesters scale statue as cars burn in Paris A video from Place de la République showed protesters climbing the enormous statue at the centre of the square and unfurling a banner accusing police of injuring high school students. The square is one of France's most famous protest sites and has hosted demonstrations for generations. Another video showed cars completely burnt out on a side street near Place de la République. According to reports by The Associated Press, thick black smoke rose from torched cars, bicycles and other vehicles, while rubbish bins and a kiosk were on fire. Several shops were also looted. Footage from the Opéra district showed police charging a procession of several hundred people with batons and tear gas to break it up. At Place de la République, officers used tear gas and water cannons against masked and hooded protesters throwing fireworks, paving stones and other objects. A separate video from Place de la République purportedly showed a man attacking firefighters twice before a crowd assaulted him. Police also tried to prevent smaller groups from converging on government buildings. Several metro stations were closed at police request, including those near the Champs-Elysées, the presidential palace, parliament and government offices.However, according to the reports by AP, despite the clashes, most demonstrators remained peaceful. A march towards north-western Paris saw crowds chanting France's national anthem and waving flags, while some protesters played trumpets and violins. Fires and damage reported in Lyon, Marseille The unrest spread beyond the capital, with fires and damage reported in several major cities.In Lyon, France's third-largest city, a fire broke out inside a tourist office as around 20,000 people joined the march. Smoke and flames were seen rising from the building. In the southern port city of Marseille, shops and a municipal police station were damaged. Protesters also briefly forced their way into the lobby of City Hall.“This is unacceptable," Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan told BFM TV, describing the damage inside City Hall as “limited.”The Interior Ministry also reported violence involving masked groups in Rennes, Toulouse, Montpellier and Grenoble, among other cities. Yellow vests return amid anger over rising prices The demonstrations followed calls on social media to revive France's “yellow vest” movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice. Many protesters wore the fluorescent yellow vests that became a symbol of those rallies.Demonstrators expressed anger over rising living costs, with gasoline, energy and food prices having spiked in recent months. They also criticised the government over what they described as the neglect of public services and policies favouring the wealthy.Sonia Mabrouk, 40, travelled from a suburb west of Paris with her high school student daughter to protest against “everything that’s going wrong”.Mabrouk, who took part in the original yellow vest protests, criticised “policies that favor the rich and always hit the poorest people in their wallets.”“There’s a general sense of frustration and anger,” she said as she marched alongside peaceful demonstrators of different ages. Unions back protests as student unrest continues The latest demonstrations follow weeks of school blockades organised by student groups since mid-September. The groups urged supporters to join the nationwide protests.The CGT, one of France's major labour unions, also backed the rallies, calling for “higher wages and pensions, lower prices and the protection of public services that meet people’s needs.” The union said more than 500,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Saturday.Far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has backed the student movement, also joined the Paris protest.The unrest comes after weeks of student-led demonstrations that have resulted in thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and schools being set on fire. The protests have also become an issue in France's presidential election campaign and attracted international attention.Some teenagers have suffered serious injuries from police riot-control weapons, according to protesters. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez suspended the use of a type of police stun grenade against young demonstrators after a 15-year-old lost a hand.

Times of India·5 hours ago·4 min read

Keralam govt. increases DA, DR from 35% to 37%

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50 AISA members, activists detained during protest against SIR at Town Hall

Breach of peace a ‘ploy’ to make detentions, says plea in SC

Cars torched, shops looted: Violence protests erupt across France; over 270 arrested