Kozhikode: Most shops and commercial establishments in Kerala remained closed Thursday in protest against the entry of big players in the retail sector.

The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasai Ekopana Samiti (KVVES), a prominent traders' organisation in the state, called the dawn-to-dusk closure of shops demanding laws to control the entry of big companies in the retail sector.

It also took out a procession to the state legislative assembly in Thiruvananthapuram.

"We gave the call for closure of shops so that all traders could participate in the protest march. The Kerala government should not cite excuses for not bringing a legislation to control the big retail companies entering the state," KVVES vice-president K. Hassan Koya told IANS.

However, traders belonging to other organisations stayed away from the protest march.