Hundreds march in UK to protest against Indian, Israeli atrocities

Hundreds of protesters marched through Manchester to support the political struggle of both Kashmiris and Palestinians on the occasion of UK’s Conservative Party's annual conference.

The march began at Whitworth Park and made its way through the city before finishing at the Manchester Central convention centre.

The protesters were chanting slogans “stop arming India”, “stop arming Israel”, “end Indian occupation of Kashmir".

The demonstrators also distributed thousands of pamphlets titled “Kashmir under Indian siege knocking at world conscience”.

Afzal Khan MP, Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, joined the march and showed his solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine.

Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) UK chapter President Fahim Kayani said that it was a great opportunity to raise the Kashmir issue and expose the atrocities of the Indian army in IIOJK in front of thousands of people who came to protest on various local issues of the United Kingdom under the umbrella organisation people’s assembly during the annual Conservative Party Conference 2021.

White British people and others belonging to different ethnic minorities joined the protest and showed solidarity with the people of IIOJK and carried the placards “end Indian occupation of Kashmir” and “stop killings in Kashmir".

Kayani added that it is the policy of the UK that it will not have any trade deal with those countries which are committing human rights violations and violating international laws. “So this policy must be implemented in regards to India because one million Indian occupation forces have killed more than hundred thousand Kashmiris since 1989 and over 10,000 women have been molested.”

“We urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the UK must end all trade deals with India,” he added.

Birmingham Trade Union Council President Ian Scott said that India is the world’s second-largest arms importer and “we demand that the world must stop selling weapons to India”.

Khawajah Muhammad Suleiman, Stuart Richardson, Mufti Fazal Ahmed Qadari, Ch Muhammad Farooq, Bashir Ratvi, Fariduddin Lodhi, Khalil Butt, Naila Azmat, Syed Khalid Abbas, Raja Tariq Mehmood, Mushtaq Hussain and Ch Muhammad Ikram also condemned Indian brutalities in IIOJK.