Clashes broke out between protesters and police. Videos have since emerged showing officers assaulting protesters, sparking public outrage.
Published Aug 14, 2025 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 14, 2025 | 3:00 PM
The protesting sanitation workers were forcefully evicted after they defied the police's order to disperse. (Supplied)
Synopsis: As many as 1,953 workers from Zones 5 and 6—many of whom had been serving under the Greater Chennai Corporation for 10 to 15 years—began their protest after the Corporation announced that they would have to work under private concessionaires, Urbaser Sumeet and Ramky Enviro.
In a midnight crackdown, the Chennai police detained hundreds of sanitation workers, who had been staging a sit-in protest for the past 13 days.
Workers employed under the Greater Chennai Corporation’s NUML division had been staging a sit-in protest in front of Ripon Building since August 1, opposing the move to outsource their work to a private contractor.
The police crackdown came after the Madras High Court, on Wednesday, 13 August, ordered their eviction.
As many as 1,953 workers from Zones 5 and 6—many of whom had been serving under the Greater Chennai Corporation for 10 to 15 years—began their protest after the Corporation announced that they would have to work under private concessionaires, Urbaser Sumeet and Ramky Enviro.
Thousands of sanitation workers opposed the move and participated in the protest.
Following this, in the case filed by a person named D Thenmozhi, alleging that the protest was disturbing public peace, the Madras High Court, on Wednesday, cited traffic congestion, and directed the protesters to disperse. The court asked them to continue their protest at an officially designated protest site.
Police prepare to act
Awaiting the court’s order, Chennai City Police mobilised hundreds of officers. However, the workers stood firm, saying they would not leave until their demand for permanent jobs was accepted.
Fearing that forcibly removing them at that time would cause a scuffle, worsen traffic congestion, and attract significant media coverage, police decided instead to act late at night.
By evening, traffic was gradually diverted: the road in front of Ripon Building was made one-way, traffic flow reduced, and vehicles rerouted.
After traffic had thinned, the police issued warnings over loudspeakers around 11:30 pm, asking protesters to disperse. When the workers defied the order, the police began physically removing them one by one. Seventeen Corporation buses had been brought in for this purpose.
As the workers refused to leave voluntarily, clashes broke out between protesters and police. Videos have since emerged showing officers assaulting protesters, sparking public outrage.
To prevent the protesters from regrouping, police took them to different locations — particularly in South Chennai, including Velachery, Saidapet, and Chintadripet — and dropped many of them there before the vehicles left. Protesters allege that the buses then attempted to leave quickly after dropping them off.
At some of these drop-off points, workers continued their protest, prompting police to detain them again and confine them in nearby halls. They remained resolute, saying their struggle would continue. Authorities kept them in those halls, fearing they would resume the protest if freed.
As of now, there is no information on when they will be released.
Leaders detained separately
Two lawyers, Valarmathi and Nilavumozhi, who had been supporting the sanitation workers’ protest, were detained separately and taken to Chintadripet Police Station.
They have told the media that many plainclothes officers assaulted, verbally abused them, and tortured them during the night.
Protesters alleged that the Chennai Police have been holding them in undisclosed locations without providing any information on charges or legal action, without registering an FIR, and without producing them before a magistrate.
They also said that police have been moving them around the city in vehicles without registration plates and evading formal arrest procedures.
Lawyers supporting the sanitation workers’ protest approached the Madras High Court on Thursday, 14 August, over the arrest of fellow lawyers. A bench led by Justice MS Ramesh agreed to hear the matter in the afternoon if a formal petition was filed.
On their behalf, they also complained that a law college student had gone missing.
Separately, the lawyers moved the Chief Justice’s bench seeking the allotment of an alternative site for the protest, alleging police excess, despite being instructed to act with restraint. The Chief Justice’s bench observed that there was no restriction on holding a protest with proper permission and that the court could intervene if the police obstructed such a protest.
However, it clarified that since the sanitation workers’ side had stated they lacked the permission, the court had only ordered lawful action, and in the absence of a filed petition, no order could be passed.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
