Hyderabad: Police on Friday detained a group of students who had organised a pro-Palestine protest near the Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue, in Basheerbagh. The students, most of them from the University of Hyderabad and the English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu), alleged that they were taken into custody within few minutes of commencing their demonstration, aimed to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn Israel for its bombardment of Gaza.
Some of them held placards that read 'Free Palestine', 'Boycott Zionism & Israel', 'Long live Palestine' and 'Gaza will never die', and the protestors chanted slogans denouncing Israel, demanding that it cease its actions. Some protestors were affiliated with the Disha Students Organisation and the Naujawan Bharat Sabha The protesters were taken to the Saifabad police station
In videos that have been going viral, a police officer can be heard telling the protestors that they had not received prior permission, making it an unauthorised gathering, He also cites the model code of conduct for the state elections.
This marked the first protest of its kind in Hyderabad since the commencement of the latest conflict between Israel and earlier in the week.
In anticipation of protests, the police had heightened security near Charminar and the Macca Masjid, but the area remained peaceful
Several netizens took to social media platforms to express their solidarity with either side; many have simply put up Israel or Palestinian flags as their DPs.
A few Hyderabad-based socio-religious organisations like the Tehreek Muslim Shabban (TMS) and Jamiat Ulama Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, urged the Muslim community to pray for the well-being of the people in Palestine.
Mushtaq Malik, president of TMS, through a video, said that Muslims in Palestine are troubled by war and the absence of power, water and food supply. He added that all one can do to help is pray for their community. Several masjids acorss the city, including the Jama Masjid held special prayers for the alleviation of the suffering of Palestine.
