New Delhi: A peaceful flash protest in solidarity with Palestine turned tense on Saturday afternoon in New Delhi, as a group of right-wing nationalists disrupted demonstrators and forced an early end to the gathering.
Roughly 100 citizens—including students, academics, artists, and human rights activists—assembled around 12:30 p.m. in Nehru Place, one of the capital’s busiest commercial hubs. The protest, organised by a coalition of civil society groups, aimed to express non-violent solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
Waving Palestinian flags and holding placards reading “Free Palestine,” “Stop the Genocide,” and “Ceasefire Now,” demonstrators distributed informational pamphlets to bystanders, sparking spontaneous conversations about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza. The gathering also denounced what organisers described as the Indian government’s “active complicity” in Israel’s actions.
“India continues to subsidise arms partnerships with Israel and has abstained from UN resolutions condemning war crimes. This is not neutrality—this is complicity,” said one participant who requested anonymity for safety reasons.
According to international human rights monitors, more than 50,000 people—predominantly civilians—have been killed in Gaza since 2023, with thousands more injured, displaced, or denied access to food and medical aid.
Despite the peaceful nature of the Delhi protest, tensions escalated when a large crowd of right-wing sympathisers gathered. Eyewitnesses say the crowd began shouting nationalist slogans, questioning the demonstrators’ motives and demanding the Indian national flag be displayed.
“One protester did raise the tricolour in response, but it was ripped away,” said an organiser. “The atmosphere turned hostile fast.”
Video evidence and eyewitness reports indicate protestors were pelted with water and mud from surrounding buildings. Slogans such as “Israel Zindabad” (Long Live Israel) and “Palestine Murdabad” (Down with Palestine) were shouted. Female protestors and visibly Muslim participants were allegedly singled out and harassed by members of the crowd.
“It went downhill quickly. A Sangh-aligned group showed up and cornered our Muslim colleague, yelling aggressively at her. Women were surrounded and heckled,” said one participant.
Police arrived on the scene later but reportedly did not intervene against those instigating violence. Instead, officers asked protestors to show permission documents and made no effort to control the mob.
“No action was taken against those threatening us,” a protester told reporters. “The message is clear: peaceful protest is under attack, and the state looks the other way when the aggressors are aligned with ruling ideologies.”
Nehru Place, chosen intentionally as a symbolic site for the protest, represents an open civic space accessible to students, workers, and the public. Organisers said it was an attempt to reclaim democratic space in a city where street protest has been increasingly restricted under the current political climate.
Despite the disruption, organisers reaffirmed their commitment to standing with Palestinians.
“We will not be silenced,” one speaker said. “There are Indians who stand for justice in Palestine—and we will continue to raise our voices.”
