Protest against Performance by Israel's Cameri Theatre in Delhi

On Sunday evening, November 4th, about 60 friends of Palestine – theatre persons, writers, artists, film makers, academics, students and activists -- gathered outside Delhi’s Siri Fort auditorium, the venue for the Israeli state-sponsored performance by The Cameri Theatre.

Their form of protest was an unusual one.  All of them wore T shirts which said, in bold black letters on white, No to Israeli

Apartheid. There were no slogans or placards. Instead, they stood around the entrance, distributing leaflets and talking to theatre goers about the boycott. A few theatre goers actually responded and

did not go in. A couple even joined the protest. One woman, who took a T shirt to wear inside, found a different form of discrimination being practised in the auditorium; the Israeli theatre goers were let in, but the Indians had to wait. She read the leaflet in her hand, came out to join the protesters.

 

As always with Israel-linked events, there was police presence, with a SWAT vehicle parked outside the auditorium. At first, the police did not interfere with the protesters as they distributed leaflets. But in a while, with instructions from above, the police force increased dramatically; policewomen arrived since many of the protesters were women; and a Black Maria made its appearance as well. Some of the policemen tried to provoke the protesters. The protesters remained peaceful but asserted their right to be there; they pointed out that they were not shouting slogans or stopping anyone from going in to the auditorium. A clear message was sent to all present, theatregoers,

organisers, annoyed Israelis, even a few curious policemen: Indians of conscience will not stand by while the State of Israel occupies Palestinian lands and imposes its apartheid policies on the
Palestinian people.

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