Adding further drama to the ongoing face-off between journalists and DMDK chief Vijayakanth, journalists ,who were protesting against Vjayakanth’s crass reaction at a TV reporter recently, were brutally attacked amidst police presence in Chennai. Journalists allege that the attackers were members of the DMDK including Virugambakkam MLA B Parthasaraty.
The protests were being held by Chennai Journalists Association and Indiya Makkal Mandram with police permission at Saligramam in Arcot Road in Chennai. The spot of the protests was near Vijayakanth’s residence.
Around 11am, about 50 journalists had assembled to protest against Vijayakanth. As they were marching ahead, the police has set up barricades to prevent trouble-makers to hamper the march. “DMDK men broke through the barricades and attacked us. MLA Parthasarathy was leading them. They threw stones, soda bottles and brandy bottles at us. We were pushed to the ground and beaten up,” said an injured Anbazhagan, one of the journalists now admitted at the ESI Hospital in KK Nagar.
Protesters alleged that even as they were being beat up with sticks by DMDK men, the police did not prevent it. “They allowed it to happen, we were given no protection in spite of police permission,” added Anbazhagan.
The journalists have a filed a case at the Virugambakkam police station and 19 people including DMDK MLA Parthasarathy have been arrested for the violence.
Here is a video shot of the attack by a journalist on his phone.