The authorities blocked cell phone and Internet services in major cities of Kashmir as the predominantly Muslim Valley erupted again on Friday over an anti-Islam film. Also, several parts of central Srinagar were placed under undeclared curfew to discourage protests.
Though the police and the CRPF enforced a security clamp down in areas of five police stations in central Srinagar to thwart protests against obscure slapstick film tiled Innocence of Muslims mocking Prophet Muhammad and had already declared a holiday in schools and colleges in view of growing tensions, angry crowds clashed with security forces at a number of places. In Srinagar’s Nawpora area, police fired teargas canisters to disperse women protesters organised by radical Dukhtaran-e-Millat. Dukhtaran chief Sayeda Aaasiya Andrabi was along with several other activists detained. The police also seized separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
Elsewhere in the Valley, a spontaneous strike closed marketplaces and disrupted transport services. On Thursday evening, the government had directed internet and telecom service providers to take all measures to ensure that the film made in California is not accessible to subscribers. An order issued by the government also stated that sites like Facebook and YouTube could be blocked if needed. Earlier, as a “preventive measure” the police placed key separatist and some religious leaders under house arrest or detained them in police stations.
A police handout issued here said that peaceful protest marches were taken out at many places across the Valley against the “blasphemous” movie clips.
“Situation remained peaceful across the Valley. However, a few minor stone pelting incidents were reported from Srinagar, Pulwama, Baramulla, and Shopian,” it added.
Though no political or religious party or group had called for strike on Friday, the protests gained momentum following the Pakistan government declared Friday a national holiday and encouraged people to peacefully protest the film that observe the day as a “day of love for Prophet Muhammad”. Traders and transporters chose to suspend work for the day. Though groups of angry youth began pouring out on the streets to chant anti America and anti-Israel slogans early in the morning, the protests witnessed spilled over after the Friday areas in the areas which were not under curfew. The Valley had observed a complete shutdown against the film also on Tuesday in response to a call issued by an alliance of religious groups. Several incidents of violence had occurred then.