Thousands Protest Deaths in India
Thousands of mourners defied a curfew Friday to demonstrate in the Kashmiri town of Sopore, where Indian security forces killed at least 53 people Wednesday, witnesses and officials said.
Police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters at the funeral of a man whose body was discovered Friday in the charred ruins of a house, one of several burned by the security forces.
At least five people were injured during Friday’s protests, at which separatist leaders made emotional speeches appealing to the United Nations to protect Kashmiris from the Indian security forces.
Senior Indian police officers have admitted that paramilitary troops of the Border Security Force went on a rampage of shooting and arson Wednesday in Sopore, about 35 miles northwest of Srinagar, in retaliation for an attack by militants in which one trooper was killed.
The New York-based human rights group Asia Watch said the attacks set a test case for New Delhi’s commitment to crack down on excesses by its forces.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
