Anti-Israel protests continue in Srinagar

Anti-Israel protests continued in Srinagar city Tuesday as scores of youths walked through busy markets raising pro-Islam and anti-Israel slogans.

Although the authorities closed schools and colleges in the Kashmir valley Tuesday for their 15-day summer recess, youths from various parts of the city took out processions against Gaza bombings by Israel.

Processions passed through city centre Lal Chowk, Residency Road and some other parts of the city as police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stood on the flanks in full riot gear.

The processions of the youth remained peaceful and the police deployments did not break these as markets and other businesses functioned normally in the city centre.

The police Monday also exercised maximum restraint, while handling even larger processions in Srinagar city, including those of students, lawyers and even groups of government employees.

Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik of the pro-Independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation front (JKLF) have condemned Israel's bombings in Gaza, in which innocent children and women have been killed.