Amid threats and backlash from fundamental groups, Kerala went ahead with its Kiss of Love protest against moral policing on Sunday. The only hitch was that the public kissathon on Kochi's Marine Drive ended before it even began.
#Kerala #KissOfLove campaign was supposed to begin @ 5 pm. It ended before it began. Various orgns protested severly @NewIndianXpress
— Shalet Jimmy (@ShaletJimmy) November 2, 2014
The Kiss of Love event had been organised by a group called Free Thinkers over social media. They were protesting the attack on a coffee shop in Kerala’s Kozhikode city last week by a Hindutva group that opposed the public display of affection by students there. They went ahead with their plan even though the police had denied them permission to do so, citing law and order concerns
As the event drew near on Sunday, chaos ensued. About 50 people were detained near the Law College in Kochi and the organisers frantically tried to change the venue until the police finally got to them. Others were beaten up by members of the Shiv Sena who were there to protest the event.
There were lathi charges at Marine Drive for about 20 minutes and potential participants were detained before they could reach the venue. But a small group managed to grab a few kisses before they were taken into custody.
#KissOfLove participants taken away in police bus, while thousands gather to protest against Nautanki of activists. Blow to Liberals. #Kochi
— गीतिका (@ggiittiikkaa) November 2, 2014
#KissOfLove organisers detained in #Kochi pic.twitter.com/oS2s5mpIHz
— TheNewsMinute (@thenewsminute) November 2, 2014
#KissOfLove organizers arrested. Kerala police: "We cant control moral police, so let's control the opposition". pic.twitter.com/WkdS9tuTjU
— Kiss of Love (@Datoism) November 2, 2014
Heard a reporter communicating to his #PCR: "Wait, wait... I will send you good visuals... Police started lathi charge..." #kissoflove
— Shihabudeen Kunju S (@shihabudeenkunj) November 2, 2014
The organisers had expected thousands of people to gather but less than a hundred eventually did, said people on the ground. Most who had come were there just to watch.
Meanwhile, the Yuva Morcha, Shiv Sena, the Congress-backed Kerala Students Union and the Socialist Democratic Party of India gathered to protest against the event. This is the first time that all these political parties were seen together in public.
KSU, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and SDPI merging meet happening at Kochi Marine Drive. The unity they have is awesome. #KissOfLove
— Kiss of Love (@Datoism) November 2, 2014
The number of people to watch kiss is almost 100 times the number of people who came there to kiss #KissOfLove
— Aunty Social Element (@RavisankarN) November 2, 2014
Photo of the day: A couple kissing inside a police van as cops detain them #KissOfLove | http://t.co/0htFEmm6rg pic.twitter.com/oSXCpB1Wd2
— Manorama Online (@manoramaonline) November 2, 2014
Police prevented big crime by taking #KissOfLove participants into Custody. It's not like they r rioters. Then police wud have just watched
— Joy (@Joydas) November 2, 2014