- Title: Freedom! Kashmiris in Srinagar protest amid India lockdown
- Date: 16th August 2019
- Summary: SRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (AUGUST 16, 2019) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERED AT A MOSQUE MAN SPEAKING ON A MICROPHONE PROTESTERS CHANTING, PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD READING (English): ''Kashmir has only one solution'' CHILD WATCHING PROTEST VARIOUS OF WOMEN CHANTING IN (Urdu) 'AZAADI' (FREEDOM) CHILD TAKING PART IN PROTESTS, HOLDING PLACARD ABOVE HER HEAD WOMAN AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PROTESTER, USMA WAHI, SAYING: "Today, we are protesting against (Narendra) Modi's wrong decision of removing Article 35A and 370. It is a peaceful protest. This is not acceptable to us." A PLACARD IN A PROTESTER'S HANDS, READING (English): "UNITED NATIONS WAKE UP, OIC (Organisation for Islamic Co-Operation) WAKE UP" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING IN THE STREETS CARRYING FLAGS AZAD KASHMIR AND A PAKISTAN BASED MILITANT OUTFIT, JAISH-E-MOHAMMAD (JeM) AND CHANTING WOMEN LOOKING OUT FROM WINDOWS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PROTESTER, MANAN WANI, SAYING: "They are shutting us off in our houses. They want to suppress our voices. We Kashmiris only want our freedom." VARIOUS OF WOMEN MARCHING AND CHANTING IN STREETS
- Embargoed: 30th August 2019 14:41
- Keywords: India Jammu and Kashmir Article 370 35A Srinagar protest Pakistan
- Location: SRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA
- City: SRINAGAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASGX9VR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Kashmir's Srinagar city after Friday (August 16) prayers in a demonstration against New Delhi's move to strip the region of its special status.
Protesters, including children and elderly women, were seen chanting for 'freedom' as they carried placards and flags of Pakistan's part of the disputed region, Azad Kashmir and Pakistan-based militant outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Security forces were deployed outside mosques across Srinagar on Friday, while police vans fitted with speakers asked people not to venture out, according to two Reuters witnesses.
In some parts of the city, posters appeared calling for protests and asking preachers in mosques to talk about the current situation in Kashmir valley.
India has battled a 30-year revolt in Jammu and Kashmir in which at least 50,000 people have been killed. Critics say the decision to revoke the region's autonomy will cause further alienation and fuel the armed resistance.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam told reporters that authorities will begin restoring some telephone lines in Kashmir from Friday evening.
Telephone and internet links were cut and public assembly banned in Kashmir just before New Delhi removed the decades-old autonomy the Muslim majority territory enjoyed under the Indian constitution. The measures were aimed at preventing protests.
(Production: Bhushan Kumar, Sunil Kataria, Surinder Kapoor, ANI) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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