– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: At a press conference held at the Press Club of India on Friday, activists from Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) strongly condemned the “barbaric police crackdown” on peaceful protestors and accused the Modi government of supporting Zionist Israel.
They questioned if voicing solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian freedom movement has now become a criminal act in India.
Activists shared disturbing accounts of police brutality, illegal detentions, sexist, casteist and communal abuse, and surveillance by intelligence agencies targeting students and protestors.
Police allegedly claimed that the Palestine issue wasn’t a “Hindu issue” and questioned why the activists didn’t protest during incidents like Pahalgam and Pulwama.
The press conference followed a June 23 protest outside the Israeli Embassy by IPSP, which turned violent—not due to protestors, but due to what IPSP called “unprovoked” police aggression.
“Our protest was peaceful; the police response was brutal,” said activist Priyamvada Sharma. She reported that women and disabled persons were beaten, abused, and detained.
Sharma said as soon as protestors gathered with placards demanding justice for Gaza, male officers began assaulting them. Women and minors were slapped, dragged, and thrown into vans. Some had their clothes torn. Journalists were also attacked and detained for recording the scene.
In custody, the abuse reportedly continued. Protestors were split between Tughlak Road and Mandir Marg stations and harassed. Sub-Inspector Umesh Mallik allegedly made a vile sexist remark: “Inka to bas kapde kholna baaki hai.”
Dalit activists Himanshu Gautam and Prasenjit Gautam were abused with casteist slurs like “neech,” “chamar,” and “gandi nali ke keede.”
Visually impaired student Abdul Rauf said he was pushed, lost his stick, and others were told not to stop the police even if he was blind.
Artist Srishti Gupta said she was injured, struggled to breathe inside the police bus, and later dumped near a hospital without help. She had to pay for private treatment.
Even after the protest, harassment continued. Sharma and another activist were interrogated by IB, CID, and Special Branch officials, who questioned why non-Muslims were protesting for Palestine.
They were asked why a physics student would care about Palestine or why protest when India-Israel relations are good. The interrogation aimed to intimidate and silence them.
The police have now filed FIRs under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) against four protestors, including Section 121(1) for assaulting officials—charges the IPSP called false and fabricated.
Activist Vishal said protestors didn’t attack police; it was the reverse. He accused the Modi government of pretending to support Palestine while deepening ties with Israel and shielding it from criticism.
IPSP announced plans to legally challenge the FIRs and file complaints against the police for assault, abuse, and discrimination. They’ll approach NHRC, NCW, and NCSC.
They also plan to create a civil society delegation of lawyers, artists, and academics to raise the issue in India and abroad.
The press meet drew support from senior lawyer Colin Gonsalves, who revealed via RTI that Delhi Police had issued over 6,000 Section 144 orders—illegally banning gatherings in violation of SC rules.
DU professor Nandita Narayan said dissent is being crushed and students are seen as enemies. “Solidarity with Palestine is about the right to protest.”
JNU’s Prof. Soumyabrata Choudhury said Israel’s crimes are horrific, and India is adopting the same repressive tactics.
Dr. Mrigank of CPI(ML) New Democracy warned that today’s crackdown on IPSP could happen to any dissenting voice tomorrow.
IPSP ended with a call for solidarity, urging people to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and stop backing companies profiting from Israeli apartheid.
“This is not a religious issue—it’s a fight against settler-colonialism,” said Vishal. “India fought colonialism; now, standing with Palestine is our moral duty. Supporting Palestine is a test of our humanity.”
