Indian church condemns arrest of archbishop and priests amid port protest

A church in India has condemned police charges against its Archbishop and a number of priests for allegedly instigating violence in support of fisherman protesting against the construction of a new port.

The fisherman say the new port development — expected to cost almost $1 billion — at Vizhinjam has affected their fishing grounds, causing coastal erosion and threatening their livelihoods. The project is run by Adani Group, owned by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani.

Kerala police on Monday charged 3,000 protesters including Archbishop Thomas Netto and several priests of the Latin Catholic Archdiocese in connection with an attack on a police station in Vizhinjam region on late Sunday that allegedly resulted in 25 policemen being injured.

The fishermen had attacked the station in a bid to free five men over charges of thwarting construction of the nearby seaport. The protest was supported by the church.

“People reached the station demanding the release of the men. Some people threw stones so police started baton charging and it turned chaotic … situation was beyond control. Priests were not ready for this situation,” Father Edison of the Latin Catholic Archdiocese told The National.

“Priests are standing for the rights of the people and justice for them. It is a battle between the poor and the rich. It seems unfair to book people and priests for protesting for their rights,” he said.

Hundreds of protesters from the fishing community have staged a sit-in protest for months against the seaport owned by Mr Adani over claims that it has destroyed the coastline and endangered their livelihood.

Police had detained five men late on Saturday following violence when scores of anti and pro-port protesters clashed and blocked more than two dozen lorries carrying construction material from entering the port site, despite a court ordering the resumption of construction work.

Police said that a mob of more than 3,000 descended on the police station late on Sunday, rampaging and burning police vehicles and injuring more than two dozen policemen as they attempted to free the detained men.

They used batons and fired several tear gas canisters to disperse the mob that pelted stones and rocks at the officers.

“Eight of them were seriously injured. One of the inspectors had to undergo a surgery on his leg. It was broken in the attack,” Police officer Ramu PV, told The National.

“There were 80 staff at the station when they started attacking us at around six in the evening. They continued the attack for the next three hours until reinforcements came and took action. I was there. They pelted stones, wooden pieces … we booked the catholic priests because they led them,” Mr Ramu said.

Television footage on local media channels showed several policemen bleeding from injuries received during the clashes.

Police and anti-riot force reinforcements were sent to the area to bring the situation under control, according to the state government, but the situation remains tense.

Father Edison, however, contested the police claims and demanded a thorough investigation, saying; “3,000 people cannot stand there at a time when there is a massive police force. We want a thorough investigation and analysing the surveillance cameras to ascertain what really happened, how it started and not just accusing the people.”

Authorities have also banned sale of liquor in the region for a week.

The anti-port protesters, mostly locals and fishermen led by the Latin church, have been against the project since August, demanding that it should be paused pending an environmental review to ascertain its impact on the coastline ecosystem.

The project was cleared for development in 2015 but protests by local communities have delayed the completion and led to clashes between groups supporting the port and those opposing it.

Protesters have erected a huge metal structure and blocked the main entrance of the port that lies on a major international shipping route.

The state government and the developers have denied the claims of environmental damage and have taken the case to the Kerala high court. Last week, the court ordered that protesters must not to disrupt the construction work while giving them the right to continue with their sit-in.