When five DMK men were killed in police firing at Chennai’s Marina Beach after Karunanidhi’s arrest in 2001

On July 29, 2001, the DMK general council decided to organize a rally on August 12 to protest against the police's actions during the arrest of former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi. On the day of the rally, it began at Little Mount in Saidapet and was intended to end at Marina Beach, where Karunanidhi was to deliver a speech. The atmosphere turned hostile early in the night when the crowd started hurling slogans against Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and the Chennai Police Commissioner.

The situation escalated near the DGP's office, leading to police using batons to disperse the crowd. Subsequently, the DMK cadres set fire to several vehicles, injuring journalists and eight policemen in the process. Karunanidhi, alarmed by the developing chaos, called for the procession to cease immediately. Andhra Pradesh Governor C Ranagarajan arrived in Chennai the next day to handle the escalating crisis.

In the aftermath, video footage revealed a clash between DMK cadres and residents from Ayodhyakuppam, near the beach. The police later claimed the firing was necessary as the crowd threatened to burn down the DGP's office. A Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired Madras High Court judge Justice Bhaktavatsalam, found the police's actions justified, ruling that a section of the processionists had attempted to enter the DGP's office and set fire to parked vehicles.