Nationwide protests in India demand end to Gaza genocide
Nationwide protests led by rights groups and student unions urge India to break silence and suspend ties over Gaza atrocities
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Thousands of people took to the streets across India on Sunday to denounce Israel’s assault on Gaza, marking one of the country’s largest coordinated pro-Palestine demonstrations in recent years.
The rallies, held under the banner of Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, demanded an immediate ceasefire and an end to what protesters described as Israel’s “genocidal war.”
In the capital, crowds filled the historic Jantar Mantar protest site, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Stop the genocide now.” Students, trade unions, and civil society organizations joined the march, while similar demonstrations unfolded in Hyderabad, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Pune — signalling a groundswell of nationwide solidarity.
Speakers at the Delhi gathering accused the Indian government of abandoning its long-standing anti-colonial stance by deepening military and trade ties with Israel. “India has a history of standing with the oppressed,” said activist Ayesha Khan from IPSP. “Remaining silent while thousands of Palestinians are slaughtered betrays that legacy.”
Student leaders and labor representatives called on New Delhi to suspend arms deals with Israel and to push for an international investigation into alleged war crimes. “We demand that India take a stand rooted in justice, not geopolitics,” said student organizer Mohammed Rizwan, as protesters observed a minute of silence for victims in Gaza.
The participants carried banners reading “Ceasefire Now,” “End the Apartheid,” and “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free.”
The protest’s organiser Sameer Ali said the protests would continue until Israel ends its offensive and global pressure forces accountability.
The coordinated demonstrations highlight a widening divide between the Indian public’s empathy for Palestinians and the government’s increasingly close alignment with Israel under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose administration has avoided condemning Israeli actions despite mounting civilian deaths.
Protesters said their solidarity with Palestinians was also a statement to reclaim India’s anti-colonial ethos they believe has been eroded by political expediency.
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