Watch: From Shillong to Kerala, Indians protest against Citizenship Act amendments
Assam, which was the epicentre of the protests over the past few days, was largely peaceful, but violence was reported in Meghalaya and Delhi.
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The protests against the amendments to the Citizenship Act spread from the North East to several parts of India on Friday.
While Assam, which was the epicentre of the protests over the past few days, was largely peaceful, violence was reported in Meghalaya and Delhi. Students of the Jamia Millia University were baton-charged by the Delhi Police during a march, while more than 100 people were detained in Tamil Nadu’s Salem and Chennai cities. Thousands of protestors marched towards the Raj Bhavan in Shillong in the afternoon, while in Guwahati, Assam, a 10-hour fast was held as form of a protest.
The contentious amendments will allow citizenship to persecuted people of six communities – but not Muslims – from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, provided they have resided in India for six years. The cut-off date is December 31, 2014. The amendments were approved by both Houses of Parliament this week and were signed into law by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday night.
Two people were killed in Assam on Thursday as demands to withdraw the changes to the 1955 law were raised. The widespread fear in the North East is that populations defined as indigenous to the region will be culturally and physically overrun by migrants as a result of these changes.
Delhi
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and the police clashed in Delhi. At least 50 people were detained after the protests turned violent. Officials have also banned large gatherings in the area.
Hundreds of students had gathered for a march to Parliament House from the university campus to voice their opposition to the legislation. Visuals showed police used tear gas and batons to disperse the students. Reports said a few protestors were injured in the clash.
The students alleged that the police baton-charged them while they were marching peacefully, but the police claimed the protestors attacked them first. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed the Patel Chowk and Janpath stations for a brief period of time due to protests. They were opened about an hour later.
This is happening in Delhi right now. Video by my colleague @journoshivs pic.twitter.com/vuSn4EVI1Q
— Rahul Sabharwal (@rubberneckin) December 13, 2019
Police and protesters clash in Jamia Nagar during protest against #CABBill2019 . All cops from South Delhi have been moved to Jamia Nagar to control the situation. @DelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/cP9ycPgbKM
— Saurabh Trivedi (@saurabh3vedi) December 13, 2019
You can hear tear gas shells being used. Student protesters lathicharged at Jamia Milia Islamia University. They were planning to march to Parliament to protest against Citizenship Ammendment Act #CABProtests pic.twitter.com/zmt0il6kB3
— Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) December 13, 2019
Students of Jamia Milia Islamia who were on a march to Parliament to protest the #NRC and #CAB were lathi charged and tear gas was used to disperse them. Video @sandeep662003 @the_hindu pic.twitter.com/HI7GeBn0Ej
— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) December 13, 2019
Visuals from Jamia Millia Islamia's protests against #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019.
— 𝘼𝙖𝙦𝙞𝙗 𝙍𝙖𝙯𝙖 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙣 (@aaqibrk) December 13, 2019
There was lathicharge and stones pelted. pic.twitter.com/rMs1PkikNp
Meghalaya
In Shillong, at least 20 people were reportedly injured following violent clashes. The Meghalaya Police used tear gas shells and baton-charged protestors in front of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong. Thousands of protestors had marched towards the Raj Bhavan earlier in the day.
Videos posted on social media showed thousands of people marching while shouting slogans against the law. Vehicles were set ablaze. Video footage also showed injured protestors being taken to hospitals. Internet and SMS services in the city will be blocked till Saturday night.
I joined the people of Shillong as a concerned citizen to protest against The Citizenship Amendment Bill. Our songs of freedom were met with tear gas & police forces, but that will not deter us. pic.twitter.com/QD2E5WUgg0
— Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh (@ampareenlyngdoh) December 13, 2019
#Shillong protests. #Cabbill pic.twitter.com/vQ4m4iyf5M
— Yash chamaria (@Chamariayash) December 13, 2019
Twenty people injured today at Shillong #CABProtests #NortheastIsBurning #Shillong ... https://t.co/VvEqTAxONp via @YouTube
— Manuni (@ManuniTlau) December 13, 2019
Shillong. Massive rally now against Citizenship Act. #CABProtests pic.twitter.com/SBvFSnE1kn
— Tongam Rina (@tongamrina) December 13, 2019
Bihar
Crowds gathered in huge numbers in Bihar’s Gaya and Patna cities to protest against the amendments. Bihar’s Opposition the Rashtriya Janata Dal led protests in some places. Janata Dal (United) MLC Gulam Rasool Balyawi also took part in a protest in Patna, according to ANI.
Massive protest in #Gaya, Bihar against the #CitizenshipAmendmentBill. pic.twitter.com/4xdgRWFDBo
— Akif عاکف (@khaans) December 13, 2019
#नागरिकतासंशोधनकानून और #NRC के खिलाफ स्टेशन चौक, #भागलपुर पर आयोजित हुआ, नागरिक प्रतिरोध!#इंक़लाब_जिंदाबाद#जय_भीम@PJkanojia @rinkuyadavbgp @KrishanujAnand @drkafeelkhan @naukarshah @ajitanjum @Rajivrihaimanch @DalitOnLine #NRC_नहीं_चलेगा #CABProtests #CAB2019 #bgp pic.twitter.com/sa7IdPwSuS
— Rituraj (@rituraj_bgp) December 13, 2019
Protests across the Bihar against #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 pic.twitter.com/4emApel4Bq
— Sanjay Yadav (@sanjuydv) December 13, 2019
West Bengal
In West Bengal, thousands of protestors blocked National Highway 6 at Uluberia in Howrah district from Friday afternoon. The protestors also set tyres on fire and vandalised railway stations and trains in Murshidabad. They set the Beldanga station in Murshidabad on fire and pelted stones on an ambulance, according to some videos on social media.
“The protesters all of a sudden entered the railway station complex and set the platform, two-three buildings and railway offices on fire. When RPF personnel tried to stop them, they were brutally beaten up,” a senior RPF official told PTI.
Anti-CAB protesters vandalise Murshidabad's Beldanga station pic.twitter.com/8cgXuThLMH
— Indrojit | ইন্দ্রজিৎ (@iindrojit) December 13, 2019
Howrah: Anti-CAB protesters pelt stones at running trains at the Uluberia station. Station also vandalised. Multiple long distance and local trains in the Howrah section stranded pic.twitter.com/CYthA2M1BN
— Indrojit | ইন্দ্রজিৎ (@iindrojit) December 13, 2019
Tamil Nadu
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was among several party workers detained after they tried to stage a road blockade in Chennai on Friday. Stalin said the amendments were against minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils. More than 100 people were reportedly detained in Salem following protests.
Members of the DMK tore up copies of the law in Chennai, and some students from the city’s New College in Chennai also staged protests.
"இலங்கை தமிழர்கள் இந்துக்கள் இல்லையா?" - மத்திய அரசின் குடியுரிமை சட்டத் திருத்த மசோதாவை எதிர்த்து களமிறங்கிய சென்னை நியூ காலேஜ் மாணவர்கள் pic.twitter.com/X4UgubyIFF
— BBC News Tamil (@bbctamil) December 13, 2019
DMK youth wing tear the copies of the #CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 , raise slogans against the Central State govts. Protesters detained pic.twitter.com/7MLv4gRKBL
— Mugilan Chandrakumar (@Mugilan__C) December 13, 2019
Mumbai
A protest march was also held on Marine Drive in Mumbai. Videos on Twitter showed the police detained a few people from the protest.
#SaveUsFromthePolice #SaveIndia
— Rupspp (@rupspp) December 13, 2019
Ppl being dragged by cops during a peaceful March at Marine Drive , Mumbai in solidarity with Assam against CAB pic.twitter.com/U65GWIJYTE
This is Mumbai.
— Very Sorrykar (@VerySorrykar) December 13, 2019
50+ People detained and 500+ came for our support.
This is just the beginning!! #CABProtests#CAB_नहीं_चलेगाhttps://t.co/F73HNe2iT9
Protests were reported from several other parts of the country such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Goa.
Here are some videos of the protests:
Protest against CAB at Amroha, UP #CABBill #CABProtests #amroha @ShayarImran @RoflGandhi_ @asadowaisi pic.twitter.com/p166zomITZ
— Shah Alam Khan (@mr_shahalamkhan) December 13, 2019
Protests have erupted across Margao, Goa against CAB. Can hear slogans of 'Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Issai. Hum sab Bhai bhai' and 'Amka naka Amka naka.. CAB amka naka'. #CABBill2019 pic.twitter.com/3oiQPVOfKY
— Hasiba 🌈 (@HasibaAmin) December 13, 2019
#CABProtests
— Nabi Shaikh (@nabi40055) December 13, 2019
This is from Gulbarga, India.
Those people who were saying that Muslims are silent, they must see these footage of #CABProtests . @naukarshah@UmarKhalidJNU#CABBill2019 #NoToCAB #CAB_नहीं_चलेगा pic.twitter.com/TnJJIGLWiG
Protests in Hyderabad against the #CABBill2019. Muslims gather in large numbers after Friday prayers and protested against the CAB Bill. They demand it should be withdrawn, say it is communal. Placards saying No CAB, No NRC.! #Hyderabad #NRC #CABProtests pic.twitter.com/sqNxXXBie3
— Rishika Sadam (@RishikaSadam) December 13, 2019
Protest in Kolkata against #CABBill2019 and #NRC#CABProtestspic.twitter.com/F09Jzqs9fX
— Tanveer (@TanveerAnas) December 13, 2019
Peaceful protest against #CAB in my home town Raichur City, Karnataka after Juma Prayer. #naukarshah#CitizenshipAmmendmentBill2019 #IndiaAgainstCAB pic.twitter.com/v8WB3vL55F
— Abdul Khader (@AKhader36) December 13, 2019
Protests against the #CAB and #NRC in Kerala.#CABProtests#CABProvocation#CitizenshipAmendmentAct
— Tanveer (@TanveerAnas) December 13, 2019
pic.twitter.com/2it8ihkVbj