As many as 49 people including organizers and supporters of the ‘Kiss of Love’ event were on Sunday placed under preventive arrest by the city police. One group of 33 people was arrested from in front of the Ernakulam Government Law College and the rest from Marine Drive grounds. Many others were also detained by the police from the Marine Drive area and released a few hours later. “They were put under preventive arrest for their own safety. We had to ensure law and order and there was risk to the lives of the protestors from others gathered at Marine Drive. That is why they were put under preventive arrest,” said Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police Rex Bobby Arvin.
The activists were taken to the Ernakulam Central and Ernakulam Town South police stations. The group detained at Central station was released around 8 p.m. They proceeded to raise slogans against the police and moral policing once outside the stations.
“What is shocking is that the police haven’t arrested a single person from the Shiv Sena or other groups that committed violence,” said activist Jaison Cooper. He was among the 33 people detained at Ernakulam Town South police station, including filmmaker Rahul Pasupalan, who started the ‘Kiss of Love’ page on Facebook. He was arrested with others from in front of the Law College. The group was released around 8.45 p.m.
Activist and filmmaker Jolly Chirayath said the police had not assaulted them at the station. “They are asking us to sign a declaration saying that we would drop all protests and disperse,” she told The Hindu from inside the station. Further violence was witnessed outside the Ernakulam Town South police station after the activists were released. The group was talking to mediapersons when the police began caning them to disperse the group. Ms. Chirayath said five people were admitted to the Ernakulam General Hospital with injuries due to the lathi-charge.
On their Facebook page, meanwhile, ‘Kiss of Love’ organisers declared their protest a resounding success. They posted several congratulatory messages that they had received from supporters on the page. They also condemned the police’s failure to arrest those who attacked peaceful protestors.
