Delhi Police Prevents Peaceful Protest in Front of Israeli Embassy – Students, Others, Injured and Detained

'Protests against the situation in Gaza have been held in Delhi yesterday, (Sunday, 13th July, and today, 14th July, in the morning). Yesterday, on Sunday morning, there was a peaceful protest in front of the Israeli Embassy – this came out of a call for protest by individuals. Yesterday, about a hundred odd people, including many young people, had gathered. I was present at this gathering. Some people made statements condemning the Israeli state’s aggression against the Palestinian people. The Delhi Police was present, but did not try to disrupt or disturb the protest. The protest happened right in front of the Israeli Embassy gates on Aurungzeb Road.

Today, another protest was scheduled, once again in front of the Israeli Embassy, at exactly the same spot as yesterday’s protest, and this was organized by students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and from Delhi University. I was not present at this gathering, but spoke to some people who were there on the phone before uploading this post. Some of those who were present at yesterday’s protest, including, for instance, Akbar Chowdhury, president of the JNUSU, had planned to be there at this protest too. The protestors, comprising mainly students, were stopped, arbitrarily, first quite far away from from the venue...

Then, all the protestors began being attacked with batons. Kavita Krishnan, general secretary of the All India Progressive Womens Association, who was present at the gathering who was raising a slogan even as she was being dragged away was hit on her lip with a policewoman’s helmet. The protestors, including Kavita Krishnan, and Akbar Chowhury, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union and an activist with the AISA (All India Students Association) who was present at the gathering have also been taken there are at present being detained at the Tughlaq Road police station...'