Hundreds stage Kashmir demonstration in Wolverhampton
A demonstration raising awareness over Kashmir has taken place in the heart of Wolverhampton.
More than 250 people of all ages stood together on the steps of St Peter's church in the city centre last Friday 16 in solidarity for the people of Kashmir.
They protested over the revocation of Article 370, a constitutional provision granting the region special status and which has seen the Kashmir Valley placed under a virtual lockdown, with all communication lines cut and political leaders placed under house arrest.
Despite heavy rain, there was a steady flow of people coming to and from the demonstration, which was conducted in a passionate, but organised manner.
The demonstration, organised by the Wolverhampton Muslim forum, saw speeches by members of the forum and other leaders from the Islamic community, with calls for Indian forces to leave Kashmir and grant the people of Kashmir their basic human rights amongst the speech topics.
Raheel Shah, a member of the Muslim forum and one of the organisers of the demonstration, spoke about human rights violation's in Kashmir had prompted the need for this demonstration.
He said: "After taking away Article 370, the Indian government has put a curfew on all of Kashmir, meaning that they cannot access school or food or anything that is a basic human right.
"We think that we will achieve people's awareness and unity from this demonstration and hope that human's rights people will get our message, particularly in this part of Wolverhampton."
The demonstration is the latest in a series, with similar demonstrations taking place in Manchester and Birmingham in the last week.
