Civilian killings spark student protests across Kashmir

Srinagar: The civilian killings in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district sparked protest and clashes at different places in Kashmir while students also took to roads and staged protest against the civilian killings.
Authorities ordered the closure of colleges before the time after the Kulgam killings. The females students from Government College for Women Maulana Azad Road and Kothi Bagh hit to roads and staged protest against these civilian killings. Chaos and confusion prevailed on the Residency Road for a pretty long time. Forces personnel lobbed pepper gas to disperse protesting girl students.
Student protests erupted in Kashmir University also where the students from various departments assembled outside the Humanities block and staged a protest against the civilian killings.
The students marched towards the administrative block while chanting pro-freedom slogans.
Youth in Shopian pelted stones on government forces to express their anger at the killings. Forces responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the protesting youth. Clashes left many youth injured.
Reports from Pulwama district said that the town opened after the 11 days of strike on Wednesday. Reports added that students and local youth resorted to massive stone-pelting near Muran Chowk after the news about Kulgam killings spread in the town. The Forces personnel according to eyewitnesses retaliated with tear-smoke shells. The clashes left many protesters injured.
The clashes prompted shopkeepers to lower their shutters. Reports said that majority of the shops remained shut in the town.
Massive protest erupted inside Degree College Baramulla where students resorted to stone-pelting. The government forces personnel went inside the college and chased away the protesting students. A student alleged that Forces personnel roughed up many students inside the college premises.
Reports said that Station House Officer Baramulla Khalid Hafiz suffered head injury and was shifted to SKIMS for advanced treatment.
Class work was suspended at Government Degree College Sopore after students held protests and clashed with the forces over the killing of civilians in Kulgam clashes.
An official said the class work was suspended “as a precautionary meaure”.
Earlier, students took to streets and clashed with the forces as soon as the news of civilian killings in Kulgam reached there.
Reports said that students tried to block the road Iqbal market in the town, however Forces personnel chased them away.
Hundreds of students from Degree College Bandipora staged a massive protest against the civilian killings. The protesting students chanted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Clashes broke out between students and government forces in Handwara town of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The students from Degree College Handwara hit to roads and clashed with Forces who retaliated with tear smoke shells.