SFI protest against fee hike turns violent

Police clashed with activists of the Students’ Federation of India in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, who staged a protest march towards the secretariat demanding withdrawal of the recent fee hike for the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE) and Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) colleges. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Tension prevailed in the state capital on Wednesday after a protest march organized by the Students Federation of India (SFI) against fee hike in colleges run by CAPE and IHRD and the state government’s liquor policy turned into violent clashes with the police near the secretariat.

Numerous SFÚ activists marched to the secretariat and demanded the abolition of increased fees in engineering and professional educational institutions. As protesters attempted to break through barricades erected near the protest site, police responded with repeated water cannon attacks to disperse the crowd.

The situation became more volatile when a group of protesters vandalized a large cutout of Chief Minister VD Satheesan and damaged similar installations near the protest site. This sparked fresh confrontations between police and protesters, leading to lathi-charge by the police.

Several activists reportedly suffered injuries during the clashes, including head injuries. Despite repeated warnings, SFÚ activists refused to disperse, leading to an extended pause.

Traffic around the Secretariat and parts of MG Road was severely affected, prompting the police to divert vehicles through alternative routes.

Meanwhile, a new controversy emerged after several razor blades were found on the road near the protest site. While the police claimed that the blades were brought by the protesters to attack the officers, SFI leaders denied the allegations. Additionally, one SFI activist alleged that she had sustained blade injuries during the clashes and alleged that police personnel were to blame.

Published – 24 Jun 2026 19:37 IST