Shillong, Oct 29 (IANS): Many people including two journalists were injured when a rally taken out here on Friday by the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) turned violent, the police said.

The police are yet to confirm how many people were injured during the rally organised against unemployment in Meghalaya.

The violence began as soon as the rally started to march on the Guwahati-Shillong road leading to Khyndailad.

According to an eyewitness, while it looked like any other normal rallies, some members of the FKJGP, many of them masked, punched, kicked and pushed passers by indiscriminately, causing panic and huge traffic jams.

At Dhankheti junction, people were beaten up with flag poles while shopkeepers downed shutters as panic gripped the hill city.

Mostly non-tribals were targeted in the attacks.

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that police have been asked to take necessary action.

FKJGP President Dundee Khongsit while apologising for the incident said he did not expect that such an untoward incident would take place.

"We have told our members before the rally that this is a peaceful rally. Our demand is to fill up vacant posts in the government departments as there are more than 7,000 posts lying vacant in different departments," the tribal leader told the media.

"However, the state government is not paying attention to the serious unemployment problem in the state," he added.