Activists from the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine and local citizens, about 25 of them, were detained by the Pune Police on JM Road, in front of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj garden, while protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" initiative and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming diplomatic visit to Israel.
According to the protestors, the demonstration was organized to voice concerns over the "Board of Peace," an international body established by Donald Trump to oversee Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. Critics of the board, including the IPSP, have characterized it as a "pay-to-play" organization, citing the $1 billion fee for permanent membership.
Protesters also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, noting the high civilian death toll in Gaza since October 2023. Organizers labelled the police intervention as an "attack on democratic rights," claiming that the government is suppressing dissent as India navigates complex diplomatic ties with Israel and the U.S. administration.
The protestors have criticized the Pune Police for what they describe as a tactical delay in communication regarding protest permits. Despite submitting a formal letter of intent for the demonstration days in advance, the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine reported that the police issued a rejection notice just hours before the scheduled start time.
Following the last-minute rejection, police moved to "brutally detain" several protesters who had already arrived at the JM Road site. The 25 individuals who have been detained have been asked to submit their name, contact details, and addresses, which the demonstrators claim are methods to further harass them.
Allegedly, the police cited multiple events happening in the vicinity for having rejected the proposal, and for having detained the individuals. The protesters alleged, that they were initially told they were creating nuisance for the traffic, but the reason kept changing. Once it was a probable disturbance for an event happening inside the garden, and another time it was for another event at Bal Gandharva Ranga Mandir.
