July 14,  Israel Embassy / Tughlaq Road Thana, New Delhi : Nearly 100 people peacefully gathered today near Hotel Claridges on Auragzeb Road to protest against the Isreal’s bombardment and killing of more than hundred, men, women, children in last few days.

Protesters from JNUSU, AISF, RYA, NAPM, DSG and many other civil society organisations marched from Hotel Claridges towards the ISrael Embassy. They were stopped after 150 meters by police barricade. Delhi Police had mobilised water canon, police vans, jeeps, batons and no women police. One third of the protesters were nearly women. As the protesters crossed the barricade and marched towards the embassy, police persons started man handling men first and pushed them hard. Some of them were forcefully pushed to the police bus, but they managed to get out of the bus.

While nearly 25 of them managed to reach the gates of embassy, other were detained some 15 meters behind. By then another batch of plice personnel arrived and they began lathi charging and beating up students, male, female both on the directions of Shri S B S Tyagi, DCP. He ordered his men to just get rid of them anyhow, they started chasing protesters. Some of the women protesters who stepped aside and stood there, were abused and beaten up by the police men. Even when they asked them to stop, they didn’t stop. This all happened infront of the media people who were recording, apart from the the police cameras.

The bunch protesting infront of the Israel embassy gates and those immediately behind were forced and pushed inside the police vans. Nearly 30 of us who had come back to the barricaded area were then chased by the policemen all the way to Claridges hotel roundabout and arrested from there. In the ensuing chase many of the women who again stepped aside were beaten, abused and pushed in to the police van.

In all, nearly 100 people were bundled together in two police vans and taken to Tughlaq Road police Station, as we write the location of the other van is not known yet.

At the Tughlaq Road thana, Kavita Krishnan, who was talking to the media there, was again man handled by police women and not allowed to talk to them. When one of the male students intervened then he was slapped hard by the policeman there.

We condemn such deplorable behaviour by the Delhi police, who beat up women protesters, abused them and clamped on the right to protest and assembly. In a clearly targetted action, they were heard saying, inko sabak sikhao, inko mat chodna, baar baar aa jaate hain. They also abused many of the protesters and once again showed their cruel face.

We demand immediate action against the DCP Mr. Tyagi and the policemen on duty. The protesters who are all detained in police stations should be released immediately and those suffering injury, must be given immediate medical attention.

Contact : Aslam 9990748079 and Kavita Krishnan 9560756628 detained at Tughlaq Road Police Station.

Madhuresh 9818905316

NAPM