Approved by the British administration in India in 1919, the Rowlatt Act was a divisive piece of legislation The Act forbade public events and remarks judged to be seditious as well as let the government hold people without trial for up to two years. Indian nationalist leaders, who see the Act as a danger to India's pursuit of self-rule and a breach of civil freedoms, greeted it with broad demonstrations and resistance. One of the main hubs of the Indian nationalist movement, the Madras Presidency was much changed by the Rowlatt Act. Protests and strikes broke out all throughout the Presidency after the Act's passing as workers and students marched to call for its repeal. Reacting with a heavy-handed response, the British government sent police and soldiers to quell the demonstrations and seize the leaders of the nationalist movement. The demonstrations kept becoming more intense and broad even as the authorities tried to calm the instability. With nationalist leaders like C. Rajagopalachari and S. Satyamurti spearheading the fight for independence, the Madras Presidency became a hotbed of anti-British feeling. The Rowlatt Act and the government's reaction to it became a rallying cry for the Indian nationalist movement, therefore inspiring support and driving the expansion of civil disobedience activities all around. The Rowlatt Act is now seen as a terrible reminder of the perils of colonialism and authoritarianism as well as a dismal chapter in India's fight for freedom. The continuous struggle for civil freedoms and human rights all throughout the globe bears its legacy.