World | India
Thousands of Muslims join protest in Indian Kashmir
Police use force to disperse demonstrators as thousands take to the street.
- AP
- Published: 15:20 September 19, 2008
Srinagar: Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse rock-throwing demonstrators on Friday as anti-India protests flared again in Kashmir, police said.
Thousands of people took to the streets after Friday prayers, responding to a call from separatist leaders to step up protests against Indian rule during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Also on Saturday, the Indian government said it was ready to allow direct trade between Indian-controlled Kashmir and the Pakistani portion, a major demand of recent protests.
The marchers chanted "Go, India go" and "It has come, it has come, freedom, freedom" in demonstrations that were largely peaceful until police tried to stop them. Several hundred people then began throwing rocks at the security forces, wounding four officers, said Prabhakar Tripathi, a spokesman for the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force.
Police fired tear gas and beat protesters with bamboo batons, he said. He had no figures for the number of protesters wounded.
In recent months the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir has seen some of the largest protests against Indian rule in two decades.
Strike called
While they subsided in recent weeks, separatist leaders have launched a string of protests this month. A general strike has been called for on Saturday.
At least 45 people have died in the recent violence, most of them killed when soldiers opened fire on protesters.
Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Indian-administered Kashmir, where most people favour independence.
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