Ajit Karn
Today, pro-Khalistan protesters bellowed slogans, hurled water bottles and ink at the London Metropolitan police, who confined them to the opposite side of the road, a safe distance from the Indian High Commission. For the protestors, the larger Indian flag displayed on the walls of India House was an immediate provocation. The High Commission employees retaliated with a larger flag the day following Sunday’s unprecedented act of vandalism, in which the Indian flag was torn down and the building’s windows were shattered.
The London police appeared prepared for the demonstrators’ display of force today, deploying 24 buses in addition to mounted officers.
The protest began with a modest number of participants, but the crowd grew as the evening progressed. The police reported that by late evening, approximately 2,000 protesters had gathered at the location. As they attempted to breach the barricade and attacked the police with water bottles, ink, and powdered colors, the atmosphere deteriorated. The police have stated that they will evacuate the area if the protest continues to escalate.
The increased security in London followed the removal of traffic barricades in front of the British High Commission in New Delhi, which was interpreted by some as an indication of India’s displeasure with the breach in London. The police explained the action as the removal of barricades that “created obstacles” for commuters.
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India recalled a senior British diplomat in Delhi late Sunday evening to register its strong protest over the “complete absence of British security” as the crowd attacked the building in protest of the assault against Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and his group.
The foreign ministry demanded an explanation for the utter lack of British security that allowed these individuals to penetrate the High Commission’s premises.
