Delhi Police Detain Students, Activists Protesting Against Israeli Actions Outside Embassy

In a tense and highly charged atmosphere, multiple student activists and members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) were detained by Delhi Police on Monday as they staged a protest outside the Israeli Embassy. The demonstration was organized to condemn the recent seizure of the humanitarian aid vessel Madleen by the Israeli navy while en route to the besieged Gaza Strip.

The protest, held near Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road in the heart of the Indian capital, was peaceful in its initial stages. Holding placards, raising slogans, and calling for justice and humanitarian access to Gaza, the demonstrators demanded accountability for what they called an “act of piracy” in international waters by the Israeli military. However, the peaceful tone of the gathering shifted dramatically as police personnel intervened and began detaining protesters within minutes of the protest’s commencement.

Eyewitnesses and video footage circulated on social media platforms showed police officers manhandling student protesters, dragging them into buses, and attempting to block cameras from recording the scenes. Some students could be seen raising peace signs as they were pulled away, while others resisted briefly before being overpowered. No prior warning or dispersal order was clearly communicated before the detentions began, according to SFI representatives.

The Delhi Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the number of detained protesters or the grounds on which they were taken into custody. However, sources confirm that more than two dozen students were held and later moved to nearby police stations for questioning.

The protest was sparked by the Israeli military’s interception of the Madleen, a ship affiliated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that was attempting to deliver emergency food supplies, medical kits, and humanitarian volunteers to Gaza. The incident occurred late Sunday night in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in what activists described as international waters.

Among those reportedly aboard the flotilla were international human rights volunteers, including prominent environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The ship was part of a global civil society effort to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and deliver much-needed aid to civilians amid worsening humanitarian conditions due to continued bombings and restrictions.

Activists worldwide have condemned the interception as a violation of international maritime law and humanitarian principles. Footage from the vessel, released before the interception, showed crates of medical equipment and food labeled for Gaza hospitals and refugee shelters.

Speaking to the press following the crackdown, SFI Delhi Secretary Aishe Ghosh criticized the police action as “brutal, authoritarian, and deeply shameful.” She emphasized that the protest was entirely peaceful and posed no threat to public safety.

“It is appalling that students who were simply expressing solidarity with oppressed people and demanding justice are being rounded up and silenced,” Ghosh said. “The Israeli military abducts aid workers in international waters, and here in India, students are arrested for standing up against war crimes. This is not democracy—it’s complicity.”

SFI Delhi President Sooraj Elamon also spoke out against what he called the Indian government’s “conspicuous and concerning silence” on the Gaza crisis. “While governments across the world are calling for ceasefires and investigations, our government continues to remain mute as Israel pursues collective punishment, starvation, and indiscriminate bombings of civilians in Gaza,” he said. “It’s our moral responsibility to raise our voices, and we will continue to do so in defiance of intimidation.”

The students and activists involved in Monday’s protest say they are demanding more than symbolic support—they want real political accountability. Among their demands are:

• An official condemnation by the Indian government of the Israeli navy’s seizure of the Madleen.
• A call for international investigation into violations of international law related to humanitarian aid deliveries.
• Immediate pressure on Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
• Protection of the democratic rights of Indian citizens to protest peacefully without police repression.

The protest is part of a broader wave of student-led demonstrations across Indian universities and campuses, where young voices have increasingly taken center stage in speaking out against international injustice, from Palestine to climate change to gender rights.

This is not the first time student protests related to Palestine have been disrupted in India. Over the past several months, there have been multiple instances of police action against students holding discussions, screenings, or rallies in solidarity with Gaza. In some cases, campus administrations have been pressured to cancel events or penalize students.

Critics argue that this reflects a larger crackdown on dissent in India, where demonstrations and protests critical of state allies or policies are being treated with increasing intolerance. Human rights organizations have raised concerns about shrinking spaces for free expression and the growing criminalization of activism.

“What we’re witnessing is not just police action—it’s the institutionalization of fear,” said a professor from Jawaharlal Nehru University, who asked to remain anonymous. “When solidarity becomes subversion, we have crossed a dangerous line.”

Despite the heavy-handed police response, SFI and other student bodies have vowed to continue organizing peaceful protests and awareness campaigns. “We will not be silenced,” said Ghosh, adding that future actions would include sit-ins, teach-ins, and collaborations with international solidarity groups.

As India walks a diplomatic tightrope with its strategic and economic ties to Israel, the cost is being borne by students and activists who refuse to look away from humanitarian suffering. Their protest on the streets of Delhi, forcibly dispersed but not extinguished, reflects a growing moral call from youth across the world—to stand on the side of justice, even when governments won’t.