The anti-Sri Lanka protests gained momentum across the State on Monday, with several districts including Tiruchi and Coimbatore joining the Statewide stir.
Thousands of students from arts and sciences, as well as engineering colleges took to the streets in different parts of the State, carrying placards and shouting slogans. Many of them were arrested, but released later in the day.
In Chennai, hundreds of students from various arts and sciences colleges attempted to go on a procession from the Saidapet court to Raj Bhavan when the police stopped them with barricades and took them into custody.
Advocates pitch in
In north Chennai, over 300 advocates of the Madras High Court tried to stage a protest in front of the Central Customs House building on Rajaji Salai, but a large contingent of police stopped them in front of the Chennai Collectorate office.
Traffic, including bus services along Rajaji Salai and NSC Bose Road, was affected for more than an hour.
Tension prevailed at the Chennai airport as well, when more than 200 students staged a demonstration there, causing a traffic jam near the airport nearly for an hour.
The temple city of Tiruchi was rocked by protests and student rallies across various localities. The students, mobilised under the organisation, Federation of All College Students Supporting Tamil Eelam, resorted to brief road blockades in front of important offices of the Central government.
They burnt photographs of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Traffic held up
Students across western Tamil Nadu staged fasts, demonstrations and rail rokos. In Coimbatore, more than 1,200 students held a demonstration in front of the 93rd regiment of the army in Madukkarai , holding up traffic for over an hour on the Coimbatore-Palakkad Road. Police officers then held talks with them and persuaded them to disperse.
