Videos shared on social media show police personnel dragging students into buses
NEW DELHI – Several students and activists from the Delhi unit of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) were detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday as they staged a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in the national capital. The demonstrators had gathered to condemn the Israeli navy’s interception of the Freedom Flotilla vessel Madleen, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to eyewitnesses and SFI representatives, the protest began peacefully near Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road. However, within minutes, the Delhi Police began detaining protestors, many of whom were reportedly handled with force. Videos shared on social media show police personnel dragging students into buses.
The protest was triggered by the seizure of the flotilla on Sunday night in the eastern Mediterranean. The Madleen vessel, sailing under the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters. The ship was carrying food supplies, medical equipment, and volunteers, including prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg, on its way to the Gaza Strip.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Israeli military boarded the vessel in a pre-dawn operation, detained all passengers, and towed the ship to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. The move was condemned by international human rights organisations, who described the act as a violation of international maritime law.
“This was a peaceful mission aimed at breaking the illegal blockade of Gaza and delivering essential humanitarian aid,” said Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. “The Israeli state’s actions constitute piracy and an attempt to silence solidarity movements worldwide.”
SFI leaders condemned what they called the “brutal and authoritarian response” of the Delhi Police to a peaceful demonstration. “It is a travesty that while international activists face abduction for providing humanitarian aid, students in India are being silenced for standing in solidarity,” said Aishe Ghosh, Secretary of SFI Delhi.
Sooraj Elamon, President of SFI Delhi, said the organisation’s protest was also directed at the silence of global institutions and the Indian government. “Our government continues to maintain a complicit silence as Israel pursues a campaign of mass starvation and indiscriminate bombing in Gaza,” he said. “Students must speak up, and we will continue to do so.”
Multiple university student groups, including those from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Ambedkar University, issued statements condemning the police action and expressing solidarity with the detained activists.
The incident involving the Madleen has reignited global debate over the legality of Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007. While Israel cites security concerns stemming from Hamas’ presence in Gaza, critics argue that the blockade constitutes collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a brief statement on Monday calling for the immediate release of all humanitarian volunteers detained by Israel and urging respect for international maritime law. “Unimpeded access to humanitarian aid is a fundamental requirement under international law,” the statement said.
There has been no official response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding either the detention of the flotilla members or the police crackdown on student protesters in Delhi. However, opposition parties have begun raising the issue.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor posted on X (formerly Twitter): “It is unacceptable that Indian students are being manhandled for standing with humanitarian principles. Our silence on Gaza is fast becoming complicated.”
Despite the detentions, SFI has announced plans for a series of coordinated protests across other university campuses in India. Student unions in Kerala, West Bengal, and Telangana have called for marches, sit-ins, and online campaigns to raise awareness of the Gaza blockade and the flotilla detention.
“Repression will not silence us,” said Ghosh. “We are part of a global youth movement demanding justice for Palestinians and accountability for those enabling war crimes.”
