The police in Kerala’s Nilakal town on Wednesday used force to disperse protestors demonstrating against the entry of girls and women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple, PTI reported. The temple opened on Wednesday for monthly rituals.

The police also removed a makeshift shelter put up by the Sabarimala Achara Samrakshana Samiti. Sabarimala is about 20 km from Nilakal. The protesting group had occupied the shelter, chanting the Ayyappa mantra to demonstrate against the Supreme Court judgement last month allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine.

Around 500 police personnel, including women, have been deployed in Nilakal to ensure that pilgrims have a safe passage. The police also acted against protestors after some of them checked the vehicles heading to Pamba and stopped women travelling on these buses from entering the temple.

On Tuesday, protestors had forced women to alight from buses travelling to Sabarimala. Demonstrators pulled women out of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus at Nilakal. Adivasi women from hamlets near the town climbed on board buses to check for women passengers. “We will make sure no woman goes to Pampa,” said one of them, according to The Indian Express. “Those who do so will have to walk over our dead bodies.”

In the evening, protestors prevented two female journalists from travelling to Sabarimala. By Tuesday evening, some held a meeting with police officials.

“They were concerned that we were stopping vehicles,” Prasad Kuzhikala, general secretary of the Kshetra Achara Samrakshana Samiti, said. “We told them we weren’t using force. Our idea is only to raise awareness about Lord Ayyappa to women who may want to travel to Sabarimala. Our protest is peaceful.” However, he warned that on Wednesday, the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and social activist Rahul Easwar would also arrive in Nilakal.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already said the government will not appeal against the Supreme Court verdict.