New Delhi: A peaceful demonstration in solidarity with the people of Palestine was held this afternoon in Nehru Place, one of the capital’s busiest commercial districts. Organised by a broad coalition of citizens and organisations – including students, academics, artists, and activists – the flash protest was intended as a non-violent, public expression of solidarity with Gaza and a denunciation of Israel’s genocidal war.
About a hundred participants gathered around 12:30 PM. They carried Palestinian flags, posters, and placards with messages such as “Free Palestine,” “Stop the Genocide,” and “Ceasefire Now.” Leaflets and stickers were distributed to passers-by, sparking conversations and awareness around the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
The gathering also served to condemn the Indian government’s ongoing unflinching support to Israel’s campaign. Over the past two years, more than 50,000 people – mostly civilians – have been killed in Gaza. Thousands more are injured, displaced, starving, and denied medical care. Israel’s war has been systematic, deliberate, and documented live. Yet the Indian government has not only remained silent, but actively participated – subsidising defence-sector joint ventures, dispatching Indian workers to replace Palestinian labour in Israel, and repeatedly abstaining from UN resolutions that condemn Israel’s crimes.
Despite the strictly peaceful nature of the demonstration, it was met with hostility from many local onlookers and passers-by. A large and hostile crowd quickly surrounded the protestors. Some individuals from the mob approached protestors and questioned their motives, asking, “Why don’t you raise the Indian flag too?” In an effort to engage peacefully, one demonstrator did raise the Indian flag. However, it was quickly snatched away, and the crowd began chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai”; some also chanted “Jai Shri Ram.” From that point, the mob’s behaviour became increasingly aggressive.
Water and mud were hurled at protestors from balconies above. Some chanted “Israel Zindabad, Palestine Murdabad,” turning the space into a site of hostility and intimidation. Eyewitness accounts describe rapid escalation and targeted harassment, particularly of Muslim participants and women protestors.
One demonstrator shared:
“It went really south… A Sanghi crowd formed instantly and began aggressive sloganeering. They cornered our Muslim colleague and started harassing women. I saw men surrounding a female participant and shouting at her.”
The police eventually arrived, but rather than addressing the aggression of the right-wing crowd, they demanded permission papers from the protestors. No action was taken against those who had disrupted the event, hurled objects, or threatened participants. This selective enforcement only reinforced what many already know: the right to peaceful assembly and dissent is under severe attack in today’s India – while impunity is often extended to those aligned with majoritarian power.
The choice of Nehru Place as a site was symbolic – an open, public market square frequented by working-class people, students, and office-goers alike. It was meant to reclaim democratic space in a city where protest is now virtually criminalised. Despite everything, the message of the gathering remains clear: There are Indians who stand – and will continue to stand – with the people of Palestine.
