14 hours ago
Delhi: Pro-Palestine Protest Met With Force; Detainees Allege Police Brutality, Harassment
New Delhi: The Delhi Police carried out lathi charge to disperse students and activists who had gathered to protest in front of the Israel Embassy in the national capital on Monday, June 23. Organised by the "Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine" (IPSP) in front of the Israeli Embassy, the protesters condemned the ongoing genocide in Palestine and to express solidarity with the "Global March to Gaza."
It was also joined by the Revolutionary Workers' Party of India, Disha Students' Organization and Naujawan Bharat Sabha.
Protesters burned photos of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and the Israeli national flag, and raising the slogans 'Free Palestine' and 'End the genocide in Gaza'.
Protesters burn Israel flag, Trump and Netanyahu's posters outside Israel Embassy in Delhi. Photo: Vishal
Students and activists who participated in the protest have alleged that the police physically assaulted them. Male police officers allegedly touched and harassed female protesters and detained them, which is against the law.
Male protesters were allegedly slapped, had their clothes torn and were treated with extreme brutality by the police. Protesters also alleged that the police used casteist and communal slurs against them.
Rauf, a visually impaired person associated with the Disha student organisation, was also allegedly subjected to police brutality. The protesters claimed that despite informing the police multiple times that Rauf is blind, police continued to assault him.
Speaking to The Wire, Rauf said, "The Modi government is brutally repressing every pro-Palestine voice in India through its police and goons of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). A few days ago activists of IPSP and BDS India were brutally beaten and almost lynched in Pune by a mob led by local BJP leaders when they were protetsing outside Domino's outlet Pune."
Around 5 PM, the police detained all the protesters and took them to Mandir Marg and Tughlak Road police stations.
'Beaten so badly, I nearly fainted'
One of the protesters, Srishti, who suffers from respiratory issues, alleged that she was brutally beaten and detained by the police. This was despite fellow protesters warning the police about her health condition. As Srishti's condition worsened, she had to eventually be taken to RLKC Hospital.
Srishti said, "When we reached outside the Israeli Embassy and began our peaceful protest, there were no female police personnels present. The male officers, some in civil clothes, started dragging and assaulting protesters, including women, to break the human chain we had formed. We have video evidence of this brutality. I was beaten so badly that I nearly fainted.'
"I told the police I was unwell and that the protest was peaceful, but they didn't listen. My right knee got badly hurt, and then I started struggling to breathe. The bus was moving for 40-45 minutes during which I started fainting. The female constables refused to help and mocked me, saying I was acting. When they realised my condition was serious, they left me outside the hospital".
Around 7 PM, the police gathered all the protesters at the Mandir Marg police station and seized their cameras and mobile phones. At that time, the police collected the residential addresses, mobile numbers and other personal information of all 30 protesters. Some of the protesters alleged that the police threatened to interrogate them further.
Meanwhile, some of the protesters said that they were interrogated by the special cell of the police.
Priyamvada, a protester, claimed, "The Delhi Police are carrying out brutal repression on the protesters. During the protest, the protesters were detained. The illegal custody and long interrogation of women activists after 6 PM shows how the Modi government has intensified its crackdown. The Modi government has clearly taken a stand in support of Israel and the ongoing genocide in Palestine.'
