Chennai, August 31: A tense standoff between Chennai’s sanitation workers and authorities culminated in a late-night police operation to clear protesters from outside the Ripon Building, following a Madras High Court directive. The eviction marks a dramatic escalation in the week-long protest by workers demanding job security and opposing privatization of garbage collection services.

As darkness fell on Wednesday, the area surrounding the Greater Chennai Corporation headquarters transformed into a security fortress with nearly 500 police personnel encircling the protest site. The confrontation reached its peak at 11:30 PM when officers in riot gear moved to disperse the crowd of sanitation workers, many of whom had been camping at the location for days. Chants of “Jai Bhim” echoed through the streets as police began separating and detaining protesters.

Eyewitnesses reported........

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