The protests against Delhi violence were held in cities including Brussels, Geneva, Helsinki, Stockholm, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Glasgow and London.
New Delhi| Demonstrations will be held in at least 15 major European cities, including Brussels, Geneva, Helsinki, Kraków, the Hague, Stockholm, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Glasgow and London to “express solidarity with the victims and survivors of this brutal ethnic violence” that occurred in Delhi last week.
“Originally there were people who stood in solidarity with the movement against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens India; there were sporadic demonstrations. Later we got in touch through social media and decided to voice out solidarity in a more unified way,” said Deep Roy a PhD student of Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Pisa, originally from Kolkata.
Around 46 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in the Delhi violence, that flared-up between February 23 to February 26. Hundreds of homes and shops were burnt and vandalised.
The violence had started small as clashes between supporters and opponents of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. It coincided with US President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to India, but rapidly spun out of control, necessitating an urgent, midnight intervention from the Delhi High Court, which sought immediate police action.
Images were shared on social media from protests in Geneva, Munich, Hamburg, The Hague, London, Helsinki and Dublin as well as in New York. In London, protests were held in front of India House.
Large gathering at protests in London despite being organized at short notice. The weather has not deterred us. We see your hate factory and the opression by your forces Modi & Shah #DelhiPogroms2020 #WorldAgainstDelhiViolence @zoo_bear @SAsiaSolidarity @SOASIndiaSoc @SASAF_UK pic.twitter.com/GHI2Jo0NLz
— Netal (She/Her) (@ItsNepalWithaT) February 29, 2020
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Many social media handles quoted the Aamir Aziz poem ‘Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega’, which had earlier been referenced by Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters at a London event, in particular the line, “You write ‘injustice’ on the earth; we will write revolution in the sky”.
You write injustice on the earth, we will write revolution in the sky! –@rogerwaters quoting #AmirAziz
Demonstration in Munich, in solidarity with victims of #DelhiPogroms2020 #WorldAgainstDelhiViolence #DelhiGenocide2020 #DelhiRiot2020 pic.twitter.com/oewsULhbnQ
— India Solidarity Network (@IndiaSolNW) February 29, 2020
A protest in Geneva today, against state callousness, wilful negligence, and in solidarity with those affected in #DelhiRiots pic.twitter.com/Hl4okm3K8c
— Priti Patnaik (@pretpat) February 29, 2020
The Hague❤️❤️❤️❤️#WorldAgainstDelhiViolence#DelhiRiot2020#DelhiPogroms2020 #DelhiViolence https://t.co/GPz3g82RqW
— India Solidarity Network (@IndiaSolNW) February 29, 2020
The opposition has held Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the violence and demanded his resignation. Some of the top politicians of ruling BJP have also been accused of delivering hate-speeches that allegedly led to violence.
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