CHENNAI: A group of Students Federation of India (SFI) cadres who tried to protest outside the US consulate in Chennai condemning the US military assistance to Israel and in solidarity with the pro-Palestine student encampments in Columbia University were detained by the city police when they started to march towards the consulate on Tuesday morning.

Police said that the cadres were prevented about 200 meters from the US consulate by a posse of policemen who had learnt of the attempted siege.

As many as 250 police personnel were deployed to prevent the SFI cadres from getting closer to the consulate, police sources said.

About 30 cadres from SFI had gathered near Stella Mary's College on RK Salai on Tuesday morning around 10:45 am.

City Police had already set up barricades to prevent anyone from breaching the security and reaching the US consulate.

As the students tried to march towards the consulate raising anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans, police detained them and put them into vans.

They were then taken to a community hall in T Nagar where they were detained and released later.

Teynampet Police are investigating.