FIR against Kerala girl students for pro Palestine protest

An FIR was registered against the Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO) in Kannur district of Kerala on Friday, September 5, for raising pro-Palestinian slogans, flags and banners.

An FIR was registered by Pazhayandi police against GIO Kerala general secretary Afra Shihab and 30 members under BNS sections 189(2), 191(2), 190 and 192 for rioting and being part of an unlawful organisation, a report by the Maktoob Media said.

Kerala govt accused of ‘hyprocrisy’

Many accused the Kerala government and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of “hypocrisy” for previously expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and now filing an FIR.

According to the complaint, GIO conducted a demonstration in the environmentally significant Madayippara area, “raising various flags and banners and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans” and “without permission.”

The police claimed that several unnamed organisations opposed the demonstration.

Pro-Palestinian protests intensifying across India

As pro-Palestinian protests have been intensifying across India, the current situation in Gaza worsens, with over 1 lakh civilians injured and 64,300 killed by the Israeli army, and many continue to endure Israel’s prolonged blockade and imposed famine.

Former GIO president, Afeeda Ahammed, reacted to the FIR on her Facebook account, asking, “Which one?? The same Pinarayi-led police who, at a previous party meeting, wore Palestinian scarves to show their solidarity.”

“At the same time, they claim to be pro-Palestine, yet they file cases against those chanting slogans in its support—this is the continuing political hypocrisy of the Pinarayi government!!”, she wrote on the post.