Hyderabad: A silent protest was held in front of Charminar on Tuesday, October 24 to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza while condemning Israel’s atrocities. Members of civil society alongside citizens participated in this solidarity protest.
Several protests are being organised in the city in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah conflict that started this month.
In addition to that, special prayers are being conducted at mosques across the city for Palestinians.
A massive public meeting was held by AIMIM on Monday to protest Israel’s action against Palestine, following which Asaduddin Owaisi appealed to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to open a humanitarian corridor in Gaza.
Leaders of various political and religious organisations addressed the meeting held at Darussalam, the headquarters of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
Protests, prayer meets across Hyderabad
‘Qunoot-e-Nazila’ prayer in Saidabad
A group of women on Thursday, October 19, organised ‘Qunoot-e-Nazila’ prayers at the Eidgah Hazrath Ujaleshah in Saidabad in the city.
Israeli flag and US flags were laid on the ground, as a shoemat, outside the entrance of the mosque and protestors walked on it as they entered or exited the venue.
A sizeable number of people attended the prayers with their children in response to the organizers’ appeal to the community to express solidarity and pray for the safety of the people who are in distress.
Flash protest at Shahalibanda
On October 16, a small group of youngsters gathered at Shahalibanda junction, near Allah Masjid, holding placards to voice their opposition to the airstrikes on Gaza. “It’s a silent protest, our way of expressing support for the people of Palestine and condemning the relentless Israeli bombardment in Gaza,” one of the protestors explained.
Initially, the police asked the demonstrators to disperse, pointing out the necessity of prior permission for organised demonstrations. When the gathering persisted, law enforcement took them into custody and shifted them to the local police station in police vans.
EFLU student’s protest at Ambedkar statue
On October 13, a group of students from English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) staged a protest at the Ambedkar statue in central Hyderabad. Police detained the protestors who were raising slogans denouncing Israel for attacking Gaza.
The protestors were carrying placards carrying slogans like ‘Long live Palestine’, ‘Gaza will never die’, ‘Boycott Zionist Israel’, and ‘From the river to the sea Palestine will be free’.
Furthermore, the city witnessed silent gatherings by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) in Toli Chowki, Seven Tombs, Yousufguda, Borabanda, Khilwat, Santoshnagar and Rajendranagar areas.
Israel-Hamas War, Gaza in trouble
The war began on Saturday, October 7, after Hamas infiltrated southern Israel, sending fighters, firing 5,000 rockets, and taking captives, including women, children, and the elderly, which prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn of “a long and difficult war.“
Since then the Israeli forces have inflicted on the Palestinians several atrocities including cutting off their food, water and power supply. They have also bombed shelters, hospitals and escape routes out of the Gaza Strip and have cornered Palestinians in South Gaza asking them to flee the north as the US-backed army prepares for a ground invasion.
For the 18th day in a row, Israel continued to bomb civilians in various areas in the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll to 5,087, including 2,055 children, 1,119 women, 217 elderly people, and 15,273 citizens wounded.
On the Israeli side, at least 1,405 people have been killed, including 306 soldiers and 5,431 injured.
