GUWAHATI, Dec 10: Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Guwahati took a violent turn with protesters clashing with police at Rukminigaon locality of the city while violence was also reported from various parts of Assam.
Protesters had assembled at the Rukminigaon-Down Town locality of Guwahati and burned tyres at the GS Road. They shouted slogans against the government and refused to end protests even after the 11-hour shutdown called by the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) and supported by the AASU ended at 4 pm.
Police resorted to firing tear gas to disperse protesters who were also preventing movement of ambulances to Down Town and GNRC Hospitals.
“The protesters were blocking the GS Road near Down Town and Rukminigaon for a long time. They were also affecting movement of ambulances. Although the shutdown was scheduled to end at 4 pm, the protesters refused to clear off. We asked them to disperse but they were in no mood to quit. Some of the protesters even threw stones at police at the Rukminigaon tri-junction,” Guwahati JCP Debaraj Upadhyay told News Live.
“We will not bow down. We will keep opposing CAB. Come, hit us,” a protester shouted at policewomen who were trying to push protesters from the GS Road.
Protesters also pelted stones at vehicles in various places of Assam although there are reports of miscreants mingling with protesters and resorting to vandalism, including torching of vehicles.
