LONDON: A march planned by pro-Pakistani separatist groups on Kashmir to coincide with Diwali on Sunday has been denied permission by the UK authorities to assemble outside the Indian High Commission here.
A day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs in the House of Commons that any kind of violence during such demonstrations was “wholly unacceptable”, Scotland Yard confirmed on Thursday that it has imposed restrictions on the groups that had applied for the protest march.
“We understand that this is a significant anniversary date for those protesting, and also recognise this falls on the important Hindu festival of Diwali. My intention on the day will be to balance the rights of those protesting with those who may be affected by it.
“We will take all necessary steps to prevent crime and disorder,” said Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, the Gold Commander in charge of the policing operation.
“The assembly and march must start in Parliament Street, process along Whitehall and conclude in Trafalgar Square. These are very iconic London locations, allowing good visibility of the protest, but will avoid the serious disruption that would be caused if roads closer to the High Commission became blocked, he said.
The Met Police said it had imposed the pre-event conditions on the “Free Kashmir protest” under Sections 12 and 14 of the UK Public Order Act, which refer to preventing serious disruption to the community, and warned that failure to adhere to the conditions could lead to arrest and prosecution.
The groups named among the organisers of Sunday’s protest include Muslim Action Forum, World Muslim Federation, Pakistan Patriotic Front, Overseas Pakistan Welfare Council, Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party and PTI AJK. The Met Police said it is liaising closely with the organisers and the High Commission of India to prepare for the policing operation.
“The Met will take all necessary steps to ensure the security and integrity of the High Commission of India and the safety of those who work there or visit on the day, the Met Police statement added.
The route of the march has now been laid out past Parliament Street to converge on Trafalgar Square in London but not assemble outside the Indian High Commission building at nearby Aldwych. It follows various interventions over the last few days, including a diplomatic “note verbale” from the Indian High Commission expressing safety concerns.
On Wednesday, Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman had raised his fears of violence during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in Parliament. He urged the Prime Minister to take action as he told the House about violent protests by similar pro-Pakistani groups at the London mission during Indian Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
“This is a police operational matter and the home secretary [Priti Patel] will be raising it with the police, Johnson responded.
We must all be clear in this House that violence and intimidation anywhere is wholly unacceptable in this country, he said.
The north London MP, who is also chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Hindus, stressed that while he defended the right of peaceful protest, violent protests must be banned.
“This Sunday, there is the threat of 10,000 people being brought to demonstrate outside the Indian High Commission on Diwali, the most holy day for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. What action is the government going to take to prevent violent protests this Sunday, he questioned.
Last week, the London Mayor had issued a statement condemning the march and called on the groups to reconsider, while highlighting that the power to ban marches of this nature lies solely with the UK Home Secretary and not with the mayoral office.
According to the Met Police details on the permissions sought for the proposed march, an estimated 5,000-10,000 protesters are planned to turn out for the march on Sunday, being promoted across social media channels as an annual “Black Day” event to mark October 27, 1947, as the day when Indian troops allegedly entered the then princely kingdom of Kashmir. PTI
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