Shaheen Bagh Sit-In Cleared Amid COVID-19 Lockdown; Some Detained

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak and a complete lockdown in the national capital, Shaheen Bagh’s three-month long protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) came to a halt as the police on March 24th morning cleared the protest site.

At Shaheen Bagh which has been the epicentre of anti-CAA protests since December last year, security was tightened and the protest area was sealed by the police after a prohibitory order under Section 144 was promulgated in Delhi in light of coronavirus concerns.

A total of nine protesters, including six women, were detained and taken to a nearby police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said.

About 50 protesters including men were at the venue when it was vacated, reported media agencies. A decision about resuming the protest will be taken after the coronavirus situation comes under control. Later, locals gathered near the anti-CAA protest site in Shaheen Bagh despite many warnings from the state government.

On March 22 during the ‘Janata Curfew’, only five women were at the site while others had left their slippers as a symbol of solidarity. The women were taking all precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak and sanitizers had been arranged at the venue to ensure utmost hygiene, one of the volunteers informed the media.

Unidentified men had hurled “inflammable substance” near the site on March 22 but none of the five women protesters present there were injured.

Last week when the police had gone to speak to the protesters – mostly women – about clearing the protest site, they refused. Some of them raised slogans and said they would stop the protest only when the government withdraws CAA.

Their resistance drew criticism from many quarters, including the early supporters of the protest as India battles coronavirus.

By

Babita Sharma

Editor