Eleven activists were detained by the police even as human rights and student groups were speaking to the press outside the Global Investors Meet in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Representatives from organisations such as the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), All India Students Association (AISA), and Fridays For Future, Karnataka, were kept under preventive custody by the Sadashivanagar police between 12.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.. These groups came together under the umbrella ‘Bengaluru for Justice and Peace’.
Aishwarya Ravikumar, general secretary, PUCL, said: “The activists were voicing concerns over the Karnataka government’s collaboration with Israel at GIM, specifically at an event titled ‘Sky to Soil’. We were addressing the press near Guttahalli bus stop.”
Ms. Ravikumar said the Sadashivanagar police arrived and detained the activists and tore the placards. The activists were not shouting slogans, she said.
In a press release, the activists accused the State government of endorsing ties with Israel despite allegations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The activists condemned India’s engagement with Israeli firms, particularly in sectors linked to drone technology, which they claim supports military operations in Palestine.
