Police fire on protesters in southern India, 12 killed

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At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday as police opened fire on thousands of protesters demanding the closure of a copper plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

"We have confirmation of 12 people being killed in police firing. We fear the toll may rise," a police officer told AFP news agency.

The governor of Tamil Nadu state put the death toll at 11.

Women shout slogans during the protest against the government and police forces after a dozen people were killed in Thootukudi, southern India, May 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

Residents and environmentalists in the port city of Thootukudi, near the southern tip of India, have been demonstrating for months against the plant, run by British-based mining giant Vedanta Resources, alleging that it is contaminating water resources, a charge denied by the company.

On Tuesday, police were forced to act after the protests turned violent, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said in a statement.

"The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property as the protesters resorted to repeated violence... police had to control the violence," Palaniswami said in his statement.

He said protesters had set vehicles on fire and thrown stones at police.

A crowd also stormed the district government headquarters and an apartment block for Vedanta employees, a company official said.

Indian police use batons as they clash with protesters in the southern Indian city of Thootukudi, May 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

The police officer who spoke to AFP said police fired live ammunition after efforts to disperse the 5,000 strong rock-throwing group with batons and tear gas failed.

An unknown number of protesters were injured in the skirmishes, he added.

Local television showed police trying to disperse the crowd with tear gas and a policeman firing shots from the top of a van. Smoke rose from several parts of the city.

The head of the national opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, condemned the use of lethal force, calling it "a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism."

"These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice," he tweeted.

The plant, which can produce 400,000 tons of copper a year, has been shut for more than 50 days and will remain closed until at least June 6 because the local pollution regulator has said it is not complying with environmental rules.

Indian protesters stamp on pictures of Vedanta Resources Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal during the protest in Chennai, India, May 22, 2018. /VCG Photo

Environmental activists and some local politicians want the government to shut the plant permanently.

"Action should be taken to shut down the plant immediately to address this issue," M.K. Stalin, leader of the main opposition group in Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, said in a Facebook post.

Vedanta however plans to double capacity at the smelter to 800,000 tons per year.

The plant, one of India's biggest, was shut for more than two months in 2013, after an alleged gas leak that left hundreds with breathing difficulties, nausea and throat infections.

The company maintains that it adheres to environmental standards and has accused vested interests of spreading "false propaganda" about its operations.

(Top picture: Indian protesters throw stones at police during the protest in Thootukudi, south of Chennai, India, May 22, 2018. /VCG Photo)

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters