Guwahati, Aug. 19 -- A black-flag bike rally organised by the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) descended into violence across several parts of Shillong on Wednesday, leaving multiple civilians injured and a trail of damaged vehicles, vandalised public property and heightened political tensions.

The protest was organised to press the Meghalaya government over what the KSU described as its continued indifference towards the union's five-point charter of demands. What began as a symbolic demonstration quickly escalated, with incidents of violence reported from Polo, Barik and Mawlai.

Several vehicles, most of them government-owned, were attacked during the rally. A police escort vehicle had its windows smashed, while a National Informatics Cent...