Things spiralled out of control on Saturday afternoon in the city, as protests about ethnic violence in Assam and Myanmar got ugly and violent. The city press was present at the Maidan, venue for frequent protests and demonstrations. This one, too, seemed to be on track with the press taking pictures, OB vans present, reporters getting their quotes or sound bytes, when, the crowd suddenly got violent.

The police presence was quickly upped as the city seemed to be on the brink of a communal riot. While one appreciates how difficult and sensitive such situations are, one cannot understand why the police beat this paper’s senior photographer Atul Kamble who was at the site.