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Protests in 2018

The wave of protests started when Sterlite's plan to increase the capacity from 40000 tonne to 80000 tonnes per year. In corporate statements Sterlite has sadi it would make the plant "one of the world‘s largest single-location copper smelting complexes". Residents started calling for an indefinite dharna and hunger strike on February 12 and over 250 people started an indefinte hunger strike. Over 500 people, including many women and schoolchildren, blocked the company gates until they were rounded up and arrested on 14 February 2018.Since then protests have been ongoing, day and night.

Rally and firing on May 22

On May 22 morning the people from coastal area started marching to the collector’s office from the local ‘Our Lady of Snows’ church around 10 am. Police tried to stop the crowd at the church, but the crowd were determined to march. Media persons were beaten up by the crowd and one of them got a hand fractured. Cameras of one press photographers was damaged. In spite of picketing on the way crowd only swelled as the march progressed. Meanwhile, the police had barricaded roads near the villages close to Sterlite, and as a result, a majority of the original protestors — villagers from Kumareddiyapuram and its neighbouring areas — could not reach the protest site at all. Another section of protesters,joined the attention seeking protest at the SAV ground, but later joined the rally for besieging the collector's office by seeing the larger crowd in it. At VVD Traffic signal, a four-road junction in the Palayamkottai Road, about 6km from the Collectors office,police stopped them with barricades. The crowd was about 5000-10000 as per various sources. The police started cane charging, but the crowd proceeded to Collectors office. The crowd pelted stones and hurled footwears at the Police who were wearing protective gears. One police van was pushed down, when the police retreated. Polce tried another attempt to stop the crowd near Third Mile bridge on the Palayamkottai Road and tear gas was used to quell the rioting mob, which continued to regroup. An explosive substance was thrown at the police. The mob torched two police vehicles near P&T Colony and torched few bikes stationed beneath the bridge connecting Thoothukudi-Madurai national highways After the lathi charging and stone pelting at VVD Traffic Signal, what was to be an anti-Sterlite picketing protest, in many places, turned into fury and violence against the police. A number of videos shot by reporters and protesters show how youngsters attacked the police, who were seen cowering in fright.

By the time the mob reached the Collector's office, the size was about 20,000.The mob continued entering to Collector Office Campus despite attempts of Police to stop them. It is reported that mob wanted to sit-in agitation at the Collector's office but the mob by now has attacked many policemen and torched vehicles.