A peaceful protest at Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, organised by Maulana Tauqeer, went sour on Friday, September 26, as police used tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse protesters who were merely seeking the cancellation of FIRs connected with the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign.

Video of the event circulating on social media indicates several protesters being hit, questioning the police response’s proportionality.

The protesters had assembled to present a memorandum after Friday prayers, asking the authorities to re-examine the FIRs that have been registered in relation to the campaign, which came in response to action being taken against ‘I Love Muhammad’ banners in Kanpur.

In spite of earlier warnings by the UP police against disrupting public peace, the protest allegedly intensified only when some started pelting stones, providing the authorities with a reason to use force. Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) police personnel were rushed in to restore peace, underscoring the high-handedness of the response to what was originally a largely peaceful protest.

Earlier, there were reports from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) that 21 FIRs had been registered, naming 1,324 Muslims and leading to 38 arrests, in relation to demonstrations against Kanpur’s Barawafat procession and the waving of banners with the slogan.

The incident has drawn criticism over the handling of expressions of religious sentiment by the authorities, with many questioning whether such heavy-handed tactics were necessary against a largely peaceful demonstration.

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