INDIA – Police in the city of Kolkata, India east, has fired tear gas And water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters demanding justice. They were demonstrating against the rape and murder of a doctor internship at a government-owned hospital earlier this month.

The discovery of the 31-year-old woman’s body sparked national outrage over the crisis of violence against women. On Tuesday (August 27, 2024), thousands of people marched to the government building in Kolkata, demanding the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A hospital volunteer has been arrested in connection with the crime, which has now been handed over to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after criticism over the slow progress made by local police.

Protesters shouted slogans and clashed with police, who used batons to disperse the crowd. Namita Ghosh, a student who took part in the protest, told AFP news agency that the crowd had intended to demonstrate peacefully before the violence erupted.

A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 100 protesters were arrested for inciting violence.

A series of protests have taken place since the killings on August 9. The largest protest was seen by tens of thousands of women across West Bengal who took part in the Reclaim the Night march on August 14 to demand freedom, liberty and fearlessness.

But since then, some protests have escalated into chaotic political demonstrations, with police clashing with demonstrators from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) angry at the state government.