FIR Filed Against 31, Including Women, for Pro-Palestine Protest in Kerala’s Kannur District

Kannur, Kerala: Police in Kerala’s Pazhayangadi have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against 31 individuals, including women members of the Girls Islamic Organization (GIO), for holding a protest in support of Palestine without official permission. The protest took place in the Madai Para area of Kannur district, a location classified as environmentally sensitive.

According to the FIR, GIO Kerala general secretary Afra Shahab and 30 others have been charged under various sections for unlawful assembly and rioting. Protesters reportedly raised slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “End the occupation,” and “Israel is a terrorist state,” while waving Palestinian flags and holding banners. The charges include sections 189(2), 191(2), and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the newly introduced criminal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Authorities claim the protest was held without prior approval and accused the group of attempting to disturb public order. The event was part of global protests against Israeli military actions in Gaza, where, according to recent reports, over 64,000 Palestinians — many of them women and children — have been killed since October 7, 2023.

The FIR has sparked criticism across various circles, including from within Kerala itself. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government is facing backlash for what opponents are calling a “political contradiction” — with the state leadership expressing solidarity with Palestine in the past, while also cracking down on grassroots-level protests in support of the same cause.

Former GIO president Afida Ahmed condemned the move on social media, calling it “political hypocrisy.” She questioned how police officers who themselves wore Palestinian keffiyehs in support of Gaza could now file FIRs against peaceful protesters.

Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Kannur district president Nadhal Siraj also criticized the police action, calling it a clear case of double standards. “This FIR is an attempt to suppress voices of solidarity. But voices for justice will continue to echo on campuses and streets,” he said.

This isn’t the first instance of legal action being taken against pro-Palestinian activism in India. Earlier in August, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student leader Talha Manan was booked for allegedly shouting pro-Palestinian slogans during a protest against fee hikes, along with a group of unidentified students.

Activists argue that such responses stifle democratic rights and peaceful expression, especially at a time when global attention is focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.