Updated on
Summary
Protesters defied a curfew order and took to the streets of Rainawari area in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu Kashmir on Thursday. The authorities imposed a curfew on Wednesday in many parts of the disputed region to foil a march call given by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the chief of the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference. Defying the curfew, hundreds of protesters raised anti-government and pro-freedom slogans and demanded action against the security forces responsible for the death of civilians. A large number of women participated in the demonstration. A number of freedom fighter groups have extended support to the protests against killings in the valley during clashes with security forces. Kashmir has been locked down for most of past two months, and protestors have defied curfews repeatedly to attack security forces with stones and set police stations on fire. The Kashmir valley is witnessing a surge of violence fuelled by separatist factions that forced the authorities to impose curfew frequently in several parts of the state. At least 50 people have been killed in the past two months in one of the worst outbreaks of violence since a revolt against New Delhi broke out in Kashmir in 1989.
