As Gaza bleeds, Kashmir continues to protest against Israel
5 Dariya News (Rouf Pampori,Yawar Shafi )
Srinagar 15-Jul-2014
There seems to be no letup in protests against Israeli aggression in Kashmir with thousands of people including students, doctors, resistance and mainstream leaders and activists holding demonstrations across the region on Tuesday.Since Friday, the Kashmir people continue their protest against Israel. Massive protests were also witnessed on Monday while Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani had appealed to people to stage protests on Tuesday.Lal ChowkHundreds of school and college students from various government institutes appeared in Lal Chowk and staged anti-Israel protests. Eyewitnesses told GNS that the students from Gandhi Memorial College in Old City assembled in the college premises and then marched towards Lal Chowk. The students were joined by other students from Amar Singh College. The students jointly held a strong anti-Israel protest and shouted pro-Palestine and pro-Islam slogans. “The students marched upto Clock Tower,” eyewitnesses said. “Israel continues to shed blood of Palestinians and Muslim rulers are watching like cowards. The Gaza has been turned into a prison but no one is doing anything,” Shahid Sofi, a BA student, told GNS.
The students expressed their solidarity with besieged Gazans and said they won’t remain silent on the genocide of their brethren. The protest concluded peacefully.In another protest rally, hundreds of girl students from Amira Kadal Higher Secondary School appeared in Press Enclave Lal Chowk and staged protests against on-going Israeli aggression. The girl students were shouting pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans including ‘Down with Israel’ and ‘Save Gaza’. “We are here for Gaza kids who are being killed by Israeli troops without any mercy. We are here for Gaza women who are being killed by ‘barbaric’ Israelis,” a group of girl students said.
The demonstrators marched through Lal Chowk markets and concluded the rally at their school.After protest rally by girl students, the student from various coaching centers appeared in Lal Chowk and staged anti-Israel protests. The students slammed United Nations for maintaining silence over killing of Palestinians. “What is United Nations doing? It is only shielding Israel,” they alleged.
The leaders and activists of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also held a protest demonstration against on-going Israeli aggression.Condemning the brutal killing of innocent people hundreds of PDP cadres gathered at the party headquarters to show solidarity with the Palestine people. The protest began at the party headquarters and later culminated peacefully at Regal Chowk near the historic Lal Chowk. “The party cadres raised slogans in favour of Palestine people like ‘Falestine Kay Mazloomo, Hum Tumharay Sath Hai’! (O! You victims of Palestine, we are with you!) ‘Qatal-e-Aam Band Karoo’! (Stop the innocent Killings!) and carried placards which reads ‘Save Gaza, Save Humanity’,” a party spokesman said in a statement.
The demonstration was led by the senior party leaders Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Abdul Hameed Kosheen, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Wahid ur Rehman Parra and other party leaders. Addressing the gathering the speakers called upon the union government to immediately intervene in the matter and help to end the brutal massacre of men, women and children in Gaza. “As the largest democracy of the world India can’t remain a mute spectator to this naked aggression by Israel and should demand immediate end of the massacre of men, women and children in Gaza,” the speakers said. The leaders said it was ironic that the world community has maintained a criminal silence on the Israeli offensive and urged upon India to take serious note of the issue and help in convening the emergency meeting of the United Nations over the grave humanitarian crisis. “It is not only Israel which is responsible for the crime against the humanity but the entire international community should share the blame as it has maintained deliberate silence over the matter,” the leaders added. They said the world powers have shamelessly adopted a dual policy over the Gaza crisis and maintained unless it will awake from the deep slumber nothing concrete will come out.
The PDP leaders said who better than Kashmiris, who have suffered immensely over the last more than 60 years, would understand the pain of Palestine people and called upon the Israeli state to show restraint and said it is only through sincere dialogue and democracy we could resolve conflicts no matter how old and tough they are. The resistance leaders this afternoon held a joint anti-Israel protest in city centre and condemned Israeli aggression. Witnesses told GNS that dozens of activists from Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Hurriyat Conference (G) took out protest rally from Koker Bazar Maisuma and marched through various markets of Lal Chowk. The protesters shouted anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans. Witnesses said the protesters were also shouting ‘Free Kashmir’ and ‘Free Gaza’ slogans. “When protesters tried to march towards Clock Tower, the police swung into action and baton charged them,” an eyewitness told GNS.After police action, some youth pelted stones on police at Maisuma resulting in chaos, they said.
Medical College, JVC The medical students at JVC Medical College held anti-Israel protests. Holding placards, the students raised anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans. The pro-Palestine slogans were inscribed on the placards. The students condemned the killing of innocent Gazans and demanded an end to Israeli aggression. They marched upto the gate of the College and later dispersed peacefully, an eyewitness said. Kashmir University, HazratbalHundreds of Kashmir University students held an anti-Israel demonstration in the University Campus. Witnesses said soon after Zuhar prayers, the students assembled near Allama Iqbal Library and started sloganeering against Israel. The students expressed solidarity with oppressed Palestinians. “The students marched inside the campus and demanded an end to Israeli aggression,” witnesses said.A student, who was part of the demonstration, told GNS that authorities had deployed police men inside the campus. “This is for the first time that authorities deployed cops during any rally,” he said.The march concluded peacefully.Meanwhile, a small rally was also held in city’s Chota Bazar locality against the Israeli aggression.Ganderbal
The members of Ganderbal Press Club held a protest against on-going Israeli aggression against Palestinians. Eyewitnesses told GNS that the Press Club members took out a rally from Qamaria Chowk to Marani Chowk. The protesters were holding placards on which pro-Palestine slogans were inscribed.Later, some locals also staged protest in the town.North Kashmir Massive anti-Israel protests amid clashes broke out in volatile Palhallan hamlet of Baramulla district, witnesses said.
Hundreds of youth in the area took out a protest rally against Israeli aggression and in solidarity with Palestine. The youths were shouting anti-Israel, anti-America and anti-India slogans, witnesses said. They also raised slogans in favour of Palestine, Islam and Jihad.
The protesters continued their protest on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Highhway and in the meantime police chased away them, witnesses told GNS.The protesters retaliated by hurling stones on cops triggering clashes in the area. The shopkeepers of the area downed their shutters and a shutdown was observed in the area.Protests also broke out in Sopore town of the district. Eyewitnesses told GNS that scores of students took out a rally in the volatile town and raised anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans. Students at Degree College Baramulla also held protests against on-going Israeli aggression in Gaza. The protesters slammed world bodies including UN and OIC over failing to stop Israeli attacks.The lawyers in Baramulla town also staged anti-Israeli protests. They were protesting under the banner of Bar Association. The lawyers called on Muslim rulers to pressurize Israel to halt its aggression against innocent and besieged Gazans.
South KashmirHundreds of students in Anantnag district on held a massive anti-Israel rally. Eyewitnesses told GNS that students from Degree College Khanabal took out a rally and marched upto Lal Chowk. The students were raising pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans. The students said the enemies of Islam are working jointly to weaken Muslims and are shielding Israel.The march concluded peacefully.
A protest was also held in Tral area of Pulwama district.Students defy vacations’ orderInterestingly, the government on Monday announced summer vacations holiday for colleges and schools in Kashmir pision but the students defied government order and attended educational institutes to stage protests against Israel.Many on Monday claimed that the government, in order to stop students from protesting, announced holidays. However, a government official denied such claim. (GNS)