On 23 July 2026, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) held marches across Kerala against the police action on student protesters in Delhi and to demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Police used water cannon in Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kannur and other towns, and tear gas in Kochi, as students tried to cross barricades. The Kerala Students Union (KSU) called an educational bandh the same day. We found no news report of a separate water cannon incident in Thiruvananthapuram on 20 July.
Key takeaways
- The SFI, the CPI(M)'s student wing, marched to the Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram and to head post offices in several districts on 23 July 2026, in support of the Cockroach Janta Party agitation in Delhi.
- Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Lok Bhavan march. Police used three rounds of water cannon when students tried to remove barricades, and the students did not disperse.
- In Kochi, police used tear gas after students climbed over barricades, and some protesters collapsed, according to TV visuals cited by PTI.
- Students scuffled with police in Kanhangad, and some were detained in Pathanamthitta.
- We found no official police statement on the Kerala clashes, and no injury count.
Background
On 20 July 2026 police in Delhi used lathi charges, tear gas and pellet rounds to stop the Cockroach Janta Party's march on Parliament. See Police action at the 20 July march. Student groups in several states held solidarity protests in the following days. ThePrint (PTI)
In Kerala, the KSU, the Congress-linked student body, held demonstrations at all district headquarters on 22 July and an educational bandh with a class boycott on 23 July. Onmanorama The SFI called marches across the state on 23 July and an all-India "Education Bandh" to protest the Delhi police action. Deccan Chronicle
What happened on 23 July
Thiruvananthapuram: water cannon at the Lok Bhavan
Hundreds of SFI activists marched to the Lok Bhavan, the Governor's residence. Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the march. Activists tried to climb or remove the police barricades, and police used water cannon. ThePrint (PTI) Deccan Chronicle reported that the students refused to leave even after three rounds. Deccan Chronicle
Kochi: tear gas
Students climbed over police barricades while shouting slogans against the Centre, and police used tear gas to disperse them. Onmanorama TV visuals showed some protesters collapsing. ThePrint (PTI)
Palakkad, Kannur, Thrissur, Alappuzha: water cannon
Police used water cannon on marches to central government offices in Palakkad, Kochi, Thrissur and Alappuzha. In Kannur, water cannon was used to remove protesters from a police vehicle during a march to the head post office. Deccan Chronicle Onmanorama
Kanhangad and Pathanamthitta: scuffles and detentions
At Kanhangad in Kasaragod district, protesters jumped the barricades, entered the post office compound and clashed with police. ThePrint (PTI) In Pathanamthitta several students were detained and removed. Deccan Chronicle
The 20 July question
A clip circulating online is dated 20 July and captioned as police using water cannon on SFI workers at a protest site in Thiruvananthapuram. We searched for news reports of an SFI water cannon incident in Thiruvananthapuram on that date and found none. The reports we found describe water cannon at the Lok Bhavan on 23 July. The clip may be misdated, or may show an incident that was not reported. We do not treat it as confirmed.
What the footage shows
Claim · circulating videos Short clips from Kerala on these dates have circulated online. Going by their captions, they show these kinds of incidents. We have not verified each clip, and captions are not findings of fact.
- Thiruvananthapuram: water cannon used against SFI workers protesting the 20 July police action in Delhi.
- Ernakulam (Kochi): tear gas fired at protesting students, and a lathi charge on students.
Water cannon in Thiruvananthapuram and tear gas in Kochi on 23 July are confirmed by PTI, Deccan Chronicle and Onmanorama. We found no news report of a lathi charge in Kochi that day, so that remains an allegation.
Protesters' account
The SFI says it was protesting police brutality against students in Delhi and the paper leak, and demanded Pradhan's resignation. Activists said they would not back off from reaching the Lok Bhavan and kept shouting slogans while drenched. ThePrint (PTI)
Police account
No statement from Kerala Police on the 23 July marches was reported in the coverage we found. Reports say police had set up barricades to keep protesters out of the Lok Bhavan and post office compounds, and used water cannon and tear gas when students tried to cross them. Deccan Chronicle
Outcome
- Injuries: No count was reported. PTI cited TV visuals of protesters collapsing after tear gas in Kochi. ThePrint (PTI)
- Detentions: Several students were detained in Pathanamthitta. No statewide figure was reported. Deccan Chronicle
- Cases: We found no report of FIRs over the 23 July marches.
- National: Education Minister Pradhan resigned on 25 July. Newsreel Asia
Questions people ask
Why did the SFI march to the Lok Bhavan in July 2026?
To protest the police action on student protesters in Delhi on 20 July and to demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak.
Did police use water cannon on SFI protesters in Thiruvananthapuram?
Yes, on 23 July 2026 at the Lok Bhavan march, after activists tried to remove barricades. Deccan Chronicle reported three rounds.
Was tear gas used in Kochi?
Yes. Onmanorama and PTI reported tear gas after students climbed barricades in Kochi on 23 July, and PTI cited TV visuals of some protesters collapsing.
Was there a police action in Thiruvananthapuram on 20 July?
A clip is dated 20 July, but we found no news report of an SFI water cannon incident in the city that day.
Sources
- ThePrint (PTI): SFI protests across Kerala in support of CJP agitation in Delhi, 23 Jul 2026
- Onmanorama: SFI stages protests across Kerala over Delhi student crackdown; KSU observes educational bandh, 23 Jul 2026
- Deccan Chronicle: SFI organises protests across Kerala demanding Pradhan's resignation, 23 Jul 2026
- Newsreel Asia: CJP protests, key developments after Pradhan's resignation, 27 Jul 2026