Stone pelting, vehicle damage, tear gas - How protest for pay hike turns violent in India’s Noida
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Stone pelting, vehicle damage, tear gas - How protest for pay hike turns violent in India’s Noida")
Protest for pay hike turns violent in India’s Noida Photograph: (ANI/X)
A worker protest in Noida escalated into stone-pelting and vandalism over demands for higher pay and better labour conditions. Police deployed tear gas and heavy security to restore order.
Violence erupted in Phase 2 of Noida in Uttar Pradesh on Monday (April 13) after a protest by workers demanding a salary increase turned chaotic. According to police, a large number of workers had gathered to press for their demands, which included higher wages, bonus payments, weekly offs, overtime pay and timely disbursal of salaries. The workers also sought the formation of a sexual harassment committee, a grievance redressal cell and the issuance of salary slips.
The situation escalated when sections of the crowd allegedly began pelting stones and vandalising vehicles and nearby properties. Visuals from the area showed damaged vehicles and debris scattered across the streets as panic spread among locals. Police personnel rushed to the spot and deployed a heavy force to bring the situation under control. Officials said tear gas was used to disperse the protesters after attempts to calm the crowd failed.
“Adequate force has been deployed, and efforts are underway to restore normalcy,” a police official said, adding that the situation is now being closely monitored. The incident came a day after the Noida District Magistrate held a high-level meeting at the Noida Authority to ensure industrial peace in the region. Senior officials, including the Principal Secretary (Labour) and the Labour Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, attended the meeting virtually.
According to officials, the discussions focused on safeguarding workers’ rights, including provisions for double payment for overtime, bonus, weekly holidays and workplace safety measures. Authorities said efforts are ongoing to fully stabilise the situation in the affected area. Further details are awaited.
