Aurat March Islamabad turns violent as fight breaks out between rally’s participants and police
Aurat March Islamabad turned violent as fight brokes out following an argument between rally’s participants and the police.
- Serious disorder witnessed outside the Islamabad Press Club on Wednesday
- During the rally, participants chanted slogans for women’s rights and were joined by transgender people, whom the police stopped to question
- Reportedly, two cameramen, two photographers and a woman reporter were injured
Clashes erupted during the Aurat March out outside the Press Club in Islamabad as the men organizers of the march reportedly scuffled with the media present at the spot.
An other source claimed that women and transgender people from various fields gathered for the Aurat March rally had a verbal spat with the police as cops questioned the large number of transgender people trying to join the rally,
Soon the protest turned violent as police beat attendees with batons and allegedly tried to stop the Aurat March.
The police said that large groups of transgenders were joining the march instead of women.
While women at the march alleged that the police had tried hard to stop the rally.
ICT police & planted provocateurs attacked Khawajasiras & other Aurat March participants in Islamabad & are now blocking the route for the march with containers. Utterly disastrous handling of women's day by a govt that seems utterly devoid of both competence & basic decency. pic.twitter.com/glCpdvIrcC
— Ammar Rashid (@AmmarRashidT) March 8, 2023
Pakistan; Scuffle between civil society Women and Police on Aurat March rally in Islamabad lead to Lathi Charge of Women 😳#WomensDay @ICT_Police #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/skjaehwOTr
— Muted Group (@MutedGroupPak) March 8, 2023
Following all the chaos, Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, who also participated in the rally strongly condemned the violence that broke out in a series of tweets.
“Friends from Aurat Azadi March are rightly upset. The Islamabad police had NO business laathi charging a small peaceful procession. It is the women holding laathis that need to be pushed back, not progressive women. Sad to see this happening. Will seek an inquiry,” she said in a tweet.
“I strongly condemn this violence and have sought an inquiry on the incident. There is no excuse for this. That too on Int’l Women’s Day. This is not what we fought for and will not tolerate it. Has been brought to the Interior Minister’s notice,” she added.
I strongly condemn this violence and have sought an inquiry on the incident. There is no excuse for this. That too on Int’l Women’s Day. This is not what we fought for and will not tolerate it. Has been brought to the Interior Ministers notice. https://t.co/HL45Hj9HOn
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) March 8, 2023
