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| Protests, clashes, restrictions over US blasphemous film | | Authorities block, cell-phone, internet services | | Bashir Assad
SRINAGAR, Sept 21: Despite stringent security majors put in place by the authorities, anti US protests rocked Kashmir Valley today as protesting youth took to the streets at many place in and outside Srinagar, however, police chased away the angry youth after pitched battles at isolated places. In many areas authorities have imposed curfew while at other places restrictions were imposed on the movement of people under Section 144 CrPC, police sources said.
Though authorities had clamped curfew in many areas in downtown here in Srinagar and the movement of people was restricted besides declaring a holiday in educational institutions, there was complete chaos on roads in Srinagar as protesting youth engaged J&K police and paramilitary CRPF in pitched battles before and after the Firday prayers. Youth at many places appeared in streets and tried to take out protest marches but police and security forces deployed in strength did not allow the angry mobs to move which resulted in pitched battles with protesters pelting stones and the Government forces retaliating with teargase shells and batton charges.
Barbed wire was raised on roads and streets leading to the main town and nobody was allowed to move towards Srinagar.
Heavy contingent of police and CRPF were guarding the important installations and Government buildings and the vehicular movement was completely halted for the day.
People in many down town areas could not offer Friday congregational prayers as the movement in these areas was completely stopped.
In Lal Chowk area police has to use mild lathicharge to disperse the women activists of radical Dukhtaran-e -Millat when they tried to take out a protest procession against US for the blasphemous film that stormed the Muslim World for last several days.
Reports of protests erupting were also received from other big and small towns across the Kashmir valley and according to the reports it was very tough for security forces to maintain law and order throughout the day.
Protests erupted in South Kashmir's Pampore, Awantipora, Pulwama, Kakapora, Tral, Bijbehara, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam towns where hundreds of people took to the streets in the afternoon shouting anti-US slogans, however, police dispersed the protesters after brief battles which resulted into the injuries of many protesters and police personnel, however, no causalty was reported from anywhere till this report was filed.
In North Kashmir's Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora towns, protesters took to the streets after coming out from the mosques in the afternoon. Reports said that protests broke out in tense Sopore town after Friday prayers where protesting youth pelted stones on the security forces after they stopped them from marching ahead.
Officials confirmed imposition of restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in Sopore and Baramulla towns, however, unofficial sources said that curfew was imposed in the twin towns. Similar restrictions were also imposed in Anantnag town in south Kashmir, which has witnessed protests against anti-Islam video made in the US, the sources said.
Although there was no call for a strike on Friday, markets remained closed elsewhere in the Valley while the public transport remained off the roads.
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for protests after Friday congregation prayers against the acts of blasphemy. He has also called for abstention of work for two minutes at 11 AM.
Authorities also blocked cell-phone and Internet till 5 in the evening to prevent viewing the film clips. |
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