On Sunday (29th October), hundreds of people gathered in the Mumbra and Thane region of Maharashtra’s Mumbai district to extend support to Palestine amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The protesters raised pro-Palestine slogans and also called to boycott the products being manufactured in Israel.
According to the initial information obtained by OpIndia, the protest was called by a forum named ‘The United Milli Forum’. The members of the forum are said to have organized the protest rally against Israel under the guise of offering prayers for the Palestinians. As per the report by India Today, the organizers had asked for permission to conduct the rally but the same was denied by the Thane Police Commissionerate.
VIDEO | People in huge numbers gathered in Mumbra in Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday to demonstrate in support of Palestine, amid its ongoing conflict with Israel. pic.twitter.com/bwj4lJ32GV
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 30, 2023
The protesters are said to have offered prayers for families of those who have lost their lives in the counter-attack launched by Israel in Gaza. The protestors also raised slogans against Israel and called for a boycott of products emerging from Israel.
The videos of the protests are going viral over the internet in which the pro-Palestine supporters could be seen gathered on the ground in the Mumbra region of Maharashtra. They could also be seen raising placards against Israel and offering prayers for Palestinians.
Pro-Palestine protest rocks Mumbra in Maharashtra. @pencilpatrakar joins us with more details#ITVideo #IsraelHamasWar | @PoojaShali pic.twitter.com/BVnKp7oJK6
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 30, 2023
This is not the first protest which has been organized in the state of Maharashtra in support of Palestine. Earlier, similar protests were organized in the Aurangabad district and also the Thane district of Maharashtra. So, notably, this is the second protest that has been organized by Muslims in Thane in support of Palestine.
Second protest in Mumbra, Thane; 200 were booked earlier in an illegal protest organized by SDPI
The first protest was organized by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in the Mumbra area where hundreds had gathered extending support in solidarity with Palestine. However, the protests were illegally organized so the police had booked around 200 persons in the case. Police said that the protesters defied prohibitory orders in the city while staging support to Palestine.
Mumbai Islamic Gymkhana!
MLA @samajwadiparty @abuasimazmi leading a mob to support #Hamas which executed carnage of innocents in South Israel!
Hope @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice have noticed this!
Bharat is at receiving end of #JihadiTerrorism since 1400 yrs; lakhs of Hindus… pic.twitter.com/N3Z7x8MZCf— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) October 26, 2023
As per the official, an offense under section 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Police Act had been registered against 200 persons. Later the Police happened to identify 16 persons but no arrests were made.
The protesters carried banners and raised slogans against Israel in the city. As per the official, they shouted slogans in support of Palestine and defied the prohibitory orders in force in the Commissionerate.
Minor children shown as dead bodies in pro-Palestine protests in Aurangabad
Similar protests were organized by the Students Islamic Organisation which is the student wing of Jamat-e-Islami Hind on 28th October in Aurangabad city of Maharashtra. The protests were organized at the Aam Khas ground where the Islamists raised the Palestine flags and also raised slogans against Israel.
A huge crowd gathered in #Aurangabad on the call of SIO @sioindia to show Solidarity with the people of palestine and stand against the apartheid State of Israel and it's allies. #28thOct @siomsz #Maharashtra#IsraelTerorrist #HamasMassacre #IsraelAttack #PalestineGenocide pic.twitter.com/up34Dyp5Ar
— Raafid Shahab (@RaafidShahab) October 28, 2023
The General Secretary of SIO, Salman Mobin Khan; National Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, KK Suhail, and Aetesam Hami, the Zonal President of SIO South Maharashtra addressed the gathering. The gatherers meanwhile called the Israelis ‘murderers’ and prayed for the safety of the people in Gaza.
The videos of these protests also went viral over the internet in which the children were used to display ‘dead bodies’. As per the videos, the children were made to act like dead bodies and were presented as kids of Gaza by the organizers. Some kids could be seen wrapped in white clothes while others were painted in red colour to depict blood stains.
Maharashtra: Anti-Israel protest held in Aurangabad where children were made to act like dead bodies and presented as kids of Gaza, shameful video goes viral. pic.twitter.com/aoxpsB5MEy
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) October 28, 2023
NCPCR condemns the act of using children for protests
Team OpIndia talked to NCPCR’s chairperson Priyank Kanoongo on the issue. The NCPCR said that children being misused by the organizers in such a horrific manner is not at all okay and that immediate action will be taken against the organizers.
“This is highly condemnable. Making children act in such a horrific manner for their agenda is dangerous. NCPCR has taken cognizance of the matter and will soon issue a notice in this case,” NCPCR’s chairperson Priyank Kanoongo told OpIndia.
Source : OpIndia
