Three Pro-Palestine Activists Detained in India Over Gaza Solidarity

Mumbai Police have come under severe criticism following allegations by the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) regarding the illegal detention of three pro-Palestine activists. The activist group stated that a female volunteer named Ms. Harshada was placed under house arrest for over 9.5 hours, and her residence was thoroughly searched without any warrant or legal notice. The operation reportedly began when plainclothes officers forcibly entered her home, followed by uniformed personnel who seized several personal belongings.

The incident occurred after the volunteers participated in the ‘Global Gaza Kite Weekend,’ an international event organized in solidarity with the children of Gaza. Two other volunteers involved in the kite-flying demonstration were also detained and subjected to questioning by the police. Highlighting the ongoing police presence late into the night, the IPSP released an update at 2:15 AM confirming that law enforcement officers were still stationed inside Ms. Harshada’s residence, over nine hours after the operation initially started.

Condemning the police actions as a severe violation of civil liberties and privacy rights, the IPSP publicly questioned the state’s response to peaceful demonstration. In an official statement, the group asked, ‘If a child flying a kite is a threat to the Israeli state, is an Indian youth flying a kite in solidarity with the children of Gaza a threat to the Indian state?’ The organization further criticized the Mr. Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of suppressing domestic pro-Palestine activists while advocating for Palestinian independence on international platforms like the BRICS summit.

The IPSP strongly denounced the alleged police harassment, framing the raid as an attempt to intimidate peaceful dissenters and calling on independent journalists and citizens to resist state repression. Reaffirming their stance, the organization stated, ‘This attempt to intimidate us will only strengthen our unity. The Mumbai Police must realize that the greater the state repression, the stronger our resistance will be.’ They urged civil society to exert pressure to halt further police witch-hunts against political activists in the region.