Amidst the rising tensions between Israel and Palestine, several Muslims across nations have hit the roads to register their protest against Israel. The Jammu & Kashmir police on Saturday detained a Kashmiri ‘artist’ for a “We Are Palestine” graffiti and 20 others across Kashmir for Anti-Isreal demonstrations amidst lockdown.
A neighborhood in Srinagar, allegedly requested the 32-year-old artist Mudasir Gul to create a graffiti showing a woman donning Palestine’s flag as a headscarf with “We Are Palestine” written. The protestors then stood near the graffiti holding Palestine flags and raising anti-Israel slogans.
Similar scenes were witnessed across several locations in the valley where the demonstrators breaking the Covid-19 protocols took to the streets in support of Palestine.
Besides the arrest of the protestors, the police also took a south Kashmir-based religious preacher, Sarjan Barkati, into preventive custody Friday.
A senior police officer from the valley on the condition of anonymity said, “One FIR was lodged earlier this week on the basis of which police made the arrests on Friday and Saturday. Mr Barkati meanwhile has been taken into preventive custody after a video of him had appeared on social media. He was heard offering support to one of the two parties at conflict (Palestine). There is nothing wrong as such but there are elements who want to use the current crisis to stoke violence.”
https://twitter.com/rohanduaTOI/status/1393545617612230661?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwIGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar also warned the citizens against the irresponsible use of social media and said, “Police is sensitive to public anguish.Expressing opinion is freedom but engineering, inciting violence on streets is unlawful.”
Warning by J&K Police
The Kashmir Zone police took to Twitter on Saturday to release a warning against using the ongoing tension between Israel and Palestine for creating unrest in the valley. The Tweet read, “J&K Police is keeping a very close watch on elements who are attempting to leverage the unfortunate situation in Palestine to disturb public peace and order in the Kashmir valley.”
https://twitter.com/KashmirPolice/status/1393501543823937543?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAssuring that legal action will be taken against the ones who try to incite violence, “It, however, wouldn’t allow cynical encashment of the public anger to trigger violence, lawlessness and disorder on Kashmir streets,” the statement added.
https://twitter.com/KashmirPolice/status/1393501546483093505?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe police also warned against breaking the Covid-19 protocols.
Mehbooba Mufti extends support to Palestine
Meanwhile, JKPDP President Mehbooba Mufti expressed her displeasure over the global community’s ‘silence’ on Israel’s attack on Palestine.
“Deafening silence of world community on deadly strikes by Israel against Palestine killing innocent civilians is shocking. Even symbolic condemnations come with a rider justifying the violence in the name of Israel’s right to self defence. What about Palestine’s right to life?” she said on Twitter on what seemed like a sly on US President Joe Biden.
https://twitter.com/MehboobaMufti/status/1392409347448205312?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwFrance bans pro-Palestine protests
In a significant decision, the French government has issued orders to ban pro-Palestinian protests in Paris this weekend.
Amidst these clashes, pro-Palestinian protestors in France had organised solidarity demonstrations on Saturday in the French capital to protest against Israel’s counter-terror operations on the Gaza Strip. However, anticipating threat and violence, the French administration has now banned pro-Palestinian protests in Paris.