Kashmir protest outside Indian Mission in London turns violent

  04 September 2019    Read: 1501
Kashmir protest outside Indian Mission in London turns violent

Hundreds of Britain-based Pakistanis have marched to the Indian Mission in London, protesting New Delhi’s decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status. This is the second protest in weeks outside the Indian High Commission by opponents of India’s decision on Kashmir.

The protesters included Britons of Pakistani and Pakistan-administered Kashmir heritage, supporters of Khalistan - a secessionist movement of Sikhs demanding a separate homeland in India and some parliamentarians belonging to the UK Labour Party.

​They smashed the windowpanes of the building and caused chaos on the streets. Police had erected barricades to prevent the group from reaching the mission building in Aldwych.

“You can try and silence a Parliament but you cannot try and silence a people. We will continue to protest on the streets of our cities and at the UN until we have delivered justice to the people of Kashmir", said British Labour MP Liam Byrne, who was at the head of the march.

Byrne is campaigning to “seek restoration of Kashmir’s special status, to ensure demilitarisation, restoration of communication and to immediately allow full access to human rights observers” in Kashmir. He has already launched a petition, which he plans to forward to the UK House of Commons to take it up with the Indian government via the Commonwealth and United Nations.

Sadiq Khan, London's mayor who is of Pakistani origin, condemned the incident and said it is unacceptable.

​Many Indian-origin citizens have condemned the incident and asked the mayor and British police to take exemplary action against the protesters.

​Earlier, during Indian Independence Day celebrations on 15 August, anti-India protesters carrying Kashmiri and Khalistani flags tried to disrupt the celebrations.


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