SRINAGAR: As the death toll crossed 100 in Israel’s continued pounding of Palestinian Gaza strip , Kashmir’s students and political activists Friday staged demonstrations against the “Israeli aggression”.
Eyewitnesses said a dozens of students gathering in the campus of University of Kashmir and marched through walkways, carrying placards with anti-Israel slogans. here including students on Friday held protests against the on-going Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza and clashed with government forces at various places in summer capital Srinagar
The students were raising pro-Palestine, pro-Hamas and anti-Israel slogans and marched throughout the campus. They were also holding banners and placards which read: Down with Zionism, Long live Hamas, Stop the genocide in Gaza, Kashmir stands with Gaza.
The Rally was to express solidarity with the Muslim brethren of Gaza who are under continuous bombardment of Israeli airplanes since past four days. It has led to more than 101 killings including women and toddlers. Also injuring hundreds of others and destruction of their houses, a KUSU spokesman said.
India has been trying to suppress the right of self-determination of Kashmiris by using force and killing innocents. As victims, we can understand the sufferings of Palestinians at the hands of Israel. We are protesting to express solidarity with the Palestinians, the students said as they shouted slogans.
The anti-Israel protests were also witnessed near the historic Jamia Masjid where different groups of youth, soon after Friday prayers concluded, held protest against the Israeli aggression. Some news agencies reported that the protesters were holding flags of Palestine and that of Islamic State .Some youth also torched the national flag of Israel as a mark of protest against the unilateral war on Palestinian people.
The protesters were raising pro-freedom, pro-Palestine, pro-Islam slogans. They were also chanting slogans against Isreal, India and United States of America, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Kashmir University Students Union? KUSU alleged the Proctor’s office collaborated with the state police to scuttle the demonstration. But they failed in the end due to stiff resistance from the students. The administrative staff of the Kashmir University manhandled and abused the media men who were covering the rally and they also snatched the banners and posters from the students, the KUSU spokesperson alleged. The rally concluded with the funeral prayers in absentia for all those who were killed in the on-going Israeli aggression.
Agency reports quoted a police official saying that the police exercised maximum restraint while dispersing the protesters. Despite provocation and risk to their lives, our cops exercised restraint force to prevent the situation from escalation, he said. Javed Ahmad Mir, a senior JKLF cadre and a member of Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat Conference led a small group of activists at Abi Guzar near Residency Road, and set the Israeli flag on fire. Being a Muslim, it is obligatory for us to raise voice against the oppressors, Mir told his aides during the token demonstration. Anti-Israel protests were also reported from South Kashmirs Anantnag and Shopian town.
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