- Title: Chaos and violence descend on Indian streets during citizenship law protests
- Date: 20th December 2019
- Summary: INJURED POLICEMAN
- Embargoed: 3rd January 2020 15:50
- Keywords: Amroha Citizenship Amendment Act Gate Gorakhpur India Meerut Muslims New Delhi Uttar Pradesh
- Location: GORAKHPUR, AMROHA, MEERUT, UTTAR PRADESH/NEW DELHI, INDIA
- City: GORAKHPUR, AMROHA, MEERUT, UTTAR PRADESH/NEW DELHI, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA002BAS4GGF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART QUALITY AS INCOMING
Anti-citizenship law protests escalated in India's populous Uttar Pradesh state on Friday (December 20) as police personnel thrashed demonstrators with sticks and used tear gas to maintain order.
Protests have spread across India since the Hindu nationalist government pushed the new law through parliament last week, and mark strongest show of dissent since Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to power in 2014.
There were standoffs at police barricades in half a dozen towns in Uttar Pradesh which has long been a tinderbox of communal tensions between majority Hindus and minority Muslims.
Crowds pelted stones at police in Amroha, Muzzafarnagar and Ghaziabad among other cities while a police booth was vandalized and set on fire in Meerut.
Meanwhile, matriarch of opposition Congress party slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party for using brute force to suppress dissent.
From college students and academics to artists and opposition party workers, thousands of people have protested against a law that many believe is part of an unspoken agenda to divide India along communal lines.
Muslims make up 14% of India's population. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: WARNING: Editors please note, this clip contains graphic material
