Thousands of protesting farmers poured into New Delhi on Tuesday as they used their tractors to pull barricades apart, prompting the police to fire tear gas and marking a chaotic start to an event that posed a direct challenge to the government.
The farmers protesting against India’s new farm laws had been expected to start a procession of tractors through the city at noon local time, to avoid interfering with morning celebrations marking India’s Republic Day holiday in central Delhi. But farmers began to dismantle barricades about two hours early amid some apparent confusion among protesters.