Delhi police use force on peaceful protesters against alleged Israeli genocide in Gaza

A peaceful protest in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s allegedly genocidal attack on Gazans, held in front of the Israeli Embassy in the national capital, New Delhi, ended with police brutally charging at demonstrators, including female students who were beaten by male officers.

The protest, organised by the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) to condemn the ongoing violence in Gaza and to express support for the 'Global March to Gaza,' was joined by multiple organisations, including the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India, Disha Students’ Organisation, and Naujawan Bharat Sabha.

Protesters raised slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “End the genocide in Gaza,” and burned images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former US President Donald Trump, and the Israeli flag to demonstrate their anger at what they termed as a genocide in Gaza.

The situation escalated when police, reportedly lacking adequate female personnel, began using force to break up the peaceful human chain formed by the protesters. Activists alleged that male police officers physically assaulted women protesters and violated legal procedures by touching and detaining them without the presence of female constables. Several male protesters also claimed they were slapped, had their clothes torn, and were subjected to casteist and communal abuse, according to The Wire.

Among those allegedly assaulted was a visually impaired student affiliated with Disha, who, according to fellow demonstrators, was repeatedly attacked despite officers being informed of his disability. Another protester with respiratory issues said she was beaten despite warnings about her medical condition and was later left outside a hospital without assistance.

By around 5 PM, all the protesters were detained and taken to Mandir Marg and Tughlak Road police stations, where their mobile phones and cameras were seized. The police reportedly gathered personal information from approximately 30 detained individuals and allegedly issued threats of further interrogation.

Some protesters said they were questioned by the special cell, while others highlighted the long hours of custody, particularly for female activists, as unlawful and aimed at intimidation. Protesters alleged that the Modi government is brutally repressing pro-Palestine voices in India through police and RSS goons, citing a recent incident in Pune where IPSP and BDS India activists were nearly lynched while protesting outside a Domino’s outlet.