Hundreds protest in Bengaluru against Israel's actions in Palestine amid flag hoisting restrictions
Bengaluru: Approximately 600 people from various parts of Karnataka gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday to protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and the recent bombings in Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and Syria. The protestors called on both the Indian and Karnataka governments to sever ties with Israel and denounced what they termed as complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.
The protest, organized by Bengaluru for Peace and Justice, saw participation from citizens, student activist groups, women’s rights organizations, farmers’ associations, and trade unions. The demonstrators highlighted the staggering humanitarian toll in Palestine, with an estimated 1,86,000 Palestinians killed, including over 16,500 children, and more than 2.3 million people displaced from their homes.
Aishwarya R. from PUCL-K pointed out that the Bengaluru police had threatened to file FIRs against anyone hoisting the Palestinian flag. “The Israeli government banned the Palestinian flag and even the watermelon, as it contains the colors of the flag, turning it into a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Today, we distribute watermelons here as a response to the threats we received,” she said.
Addressing the gathering, Sachin from AISA spoke about imperialism's role in the ongoing conflicts, pointing to Israel’s attacks on multiple Middle Eastern countries. “Despite the devastating loss of lives, Palestinians continue to resist. The Karnataka Police’s fear of the Palestinian flag only exposes their support for a genocidal state,” he remarked.
Shrilakshmi from Students for People’s Democracy expressed concern over the attacks on educational institutions in Gaza and called for increased student solidarity. “The Indian government has clamped down on voices of solidarity across universities in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru,” she said.
Other speakers echoed similar sentiments, condemning India’s military collaborations with Israel and urging the government to take a stronger stance against the ongoing violence. Prakash from CPI(M) criticized the shift in India’s policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing India’s increased military cooperation with Israel, including the controversial Pegasus spyware deal.
Yusuf Kanni from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Karnataka condemned the widespread loss of lives and humanitarian crises faced by Palestinians and neighboring countries. He called for a complete academic and cultural boycott of all state-run Israeli institutions.
Representatives of the protest group issued a set of demands, including a complete embargo on Israel akin to India’s boycott of apartheid South Africa, the withdrawal of Indian workers from Israel, and an end to all military and surveillance technology collaborations with Israeli companies.
The protestors called for an immediate cessation of ties with Israeli institutions, termination of training programs involving Indian police and security forces, and an end to joint operations.
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Transport vehicle-bike collision in Shivamogga: Two medical students killed on spot
Shivamogga: In an accident reported from Circuit House Circle here, two medical students were killed in a head-on collision between their motorbike and a milk transport vehicle on Wednesday morning.
The riders, Aditya of Udupi and Sandeep of Honnali, are said to have been 3rd Year MBBS students. They reportedly sustained severe injuries in the accident and died on the spot. The bodies have been moved to the mortuary of the McGann Hospital for a post-mortem test.
Due to the impact of the collision, the milk packets in the transport vehicle burst open, with the milk spilling out on the street.
Traffic Police (West), under whose jurisdiction the accident occurred, are investigating the matter.
