fazTimes media: New Delhi— A calm show of support for the people of Gaza turned into a scene of chaos and anger on Sunday afternoon when Delhi Police used force to move the protesters away from the Israeli Embassy. A group called Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) planned the protest as a way to show opposition to what people there called Israel's "genocidal" operation in Gaza. Instead, it ended with people getting hurt, being jailed, and real concerns raised about free speech in India's capital.

Witness accounts, videos posted on social media, and comments from the organizers all paint a bleak picture: peaceful protesters, including women and students, were beaten, dragged away, and detained without being given a reason or following the law.

Around the world, anger over the bombings in Gaza led to a protest.

The protest in Delhi was one of many happening around the world as part of the "Global March to Gaza." These events were planned in reaction to Israel's increased military operations in the besieged Palestinian territory. Gaza has been hit by bombings and blockades many times. In the past few months, thousands of civilians, including women and children, have been killed or hurt. The UN and other humanitarian groups are becoming more and more worried about how bad the humanitarian situation is in the area.

The protest in Delhi, which had workers, students, civil rights activists, and political campaigners there, was supposed to be peaceful. People held signs that said "End the Genocide" and "Free Palestine." They also burned effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Western leaders whom they say support Israel's military activities.

Law enforcement uses force in specific situations.

Witnesses describe the protest turning violent after Delhi Police intervened, breaking up the human chain. Student organizers and legal aid groups accuse the police of deviating from protocol, particularly in their treatment of female protesters.

"Ayesha R., a JNU student who was at the protest, said, 'There were hardly any female police officers present, and the male officers were abusive towards the women. They dragged us by our clothes, hit us, and shoved us into vans." One of our friends who has trouble seeing was attacked, even after we told them about it.

Videos going around on social media show men in uniform pushing women, some of them young college students, and following protesters down the street. Another protester, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said that a male cop hit her several times even though she told him she had asthma.

Detentions, threats, and taking away of devices

As of 5 PM, dozens of protesters had been arrested and taken to the police stations on Mandir Marg and Tughlak Road. Organizers say that police took away phones and cameras, probably to stop the video of the crackdown from getting around. An RWP of India member named Kartik S. said, "They took away our phones and made us write down our information." They warned us not to protest again and threatened to summon us for questioning. Some of us were even told we'd be questioned by the special cell. It was frightening.

Lawyers for the detainees claim that since no First Information Report (FIR) was filed, the detentions are technically illegal under Indian law. "What we saw today is the criminalization of dissent," a Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) lawyer said. "There is no justification for such disproportionate force, especially when the protest was entirely peaceful."

Protestors and women were targeted.

A number of student groups, such as the Disha Students' Organization and the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, spoke out against what the cops did. They pointed out that women and students were specifically targeted and said that the government's reaction was part of a larger pattern of putting down dissent.

A student organizer named Riya D. said, "The state has shown over and over that it fears educated, politically aware youth who speak out for justice." This day it was Palestine. Tomorrow, it could be anything that threatens the way things are now.

Also, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has heard about what happened and has asked the Delhi Police to send them an urgent report about how they treated female prisoners and claims that male officers did wrong things.

The Modi government is accused of stifling dissent.

The crackdown in Delhi is not the only one that has happened. Right-wing groups are said to have struck pro-Palestine activists in Pune a few days ago while they were protesting outside of a Domino's that had posted support for Israel on social media. Activists criticize the police for allegedly turning a blind eye to the violence or implicitly endorsing it.

IPSP representatives claim the Modi government is treating peaceful protests as crimes, especially those condemning war, occupation, or genocide. But they won't silence us. Right-wing trolls on social media are also attacking the protesters, labeling them 'anti-national' and 'terrorism sympathizers.' But a lot of people have spoken out in support and unity, saying that the right to protest is an important part of living in a democracy.

Civil society needs to hold people in power accountable.

Following the incident, opposition politicians, civil society groups, and human rights organizations are demanding accountability from the Delhi Police and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, The right to protest is fundamental to democracy. It's not a good idea to use force against women and kids who are just being peaceful.

In a statement, Amnesty International India asked the Indian government to protect the right to peaceful gathering and look into the police actions that were said to be wrong. It said, "Freedom of speech and assembly are protected by both Indian law and international law."

What's at Risk?

The violent disruption of this protest shows a bigger problem in Indian democracy: there is less room for people to disagree. People who speak out about issues like Palestine, discrimination based on race, environmental damage, or student rights are being punished by the government more and more.

Targeting students, many of whom were moved by humanitarian values and the idea of working together around the world, is especially scary. They only wanted three things: an end to violence, an end to slaughter, and justice for communities that were being mistreated.

Last Thoughts

The terrible things that happened in Delhi are a stark warning that democratic values require us to always be on guard. People in India and around the world will be paying close attention to how it treats peaceful protesters inside its borders as it tries to become a world leader in the 21st century.

As these young people stood up for Palestine, they also stood up for the right to free speech, which is becoming more and more in danger here in the U.S.

Keep reading fazTimes for more important news and reports from the ground.