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Protest

India Tactical: Police gathering outside of 29 Marina Beach in Chennai during afternoon APR hours (local time) of April 29 as preventative 11:20 UTC measure against agitation; maintain vigilance

Please be advised

• According to reports, up to 2,000 police have been mobilized in Chennai to prevent any potential protests at Marina Beach on April 29. Earlier, a Tamil Nadu State High Court judge moved to allow an activist group to hold a protest at Marina Beach over the Cauvery River basin dispute, although police are reportedly appealing the decision. Protest groups are demanding the creation of a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to oversee the allocation of water to Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. Local sources indicate that police have erected barricades and vehicle checkpoints in the immediate vicinity of Marina Beach.

• There have been no large-scale protests at Marina Beach since 2017, when pro-Jallikattu demonstrators gathered in the thousands throughout late January, which led to significant unrest and the use of police dispersal methods such as baton charges and water cannons.

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1. The mass deployment of police is a preventative measure ahead of any protests despite the appeal, and the immediate show of force is likely to dissuade any potential mass organization on April 29. Should any agitators attempt to breach the security perimeter, police are liable to arrest trespassers or deploy anti-riot measures similar to that seen in 2017. Given the emotive nature of the Cauvery dispute and the perceived show of support from the High Court, it remains possible that individuals may try to enter into the beach, which in turn means that the potential for unrest will be elevated in the vicinity over the coming days. 2. As part of the preventative police measures, security is also liable to be heightened near other popular protest hotspots, such as the Anna Memorial and Valluvar Kottam Monument. Traffic near Marina Beach and these other areas is likely to experience significant disruptions during the period of heightened police deployment.

Recommendations

Those operating or residing in Chennai on April 29 and over the coming days are advised to maintain vigilance and to allot for disruptions during the ongoing police operations.

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