CPI(M) DEMO IN MUMBAI

Bush Effigy Burnt, Hands Off Iraq Chanted

 THE CPI(M)’s Mumbai unit organised on October 4 a militant demonstration against the American threat of war on Iraq and in solidarity with the people of Iraq. Responding to the call of the party, a large number of people, with placards and banners in their hands, gathered near the Church Gate railway station in South Mumbai. From here they marched to the American Information Centre situated at New Marine Line about half a km away from the railway station. Taking place in a prohibited area, the militant gathering raised full-throated slogans to condemn US imperialism.

Knowing that the CPI(M) was going to organise a protest march to the American Information Centre, the police had cordoned off the area around the centre. The police were also lined up near the east, south and west entry/exit points of the Church Gate railway station to prevent the demonstrators from passing through these points.

Nevertheless the demonstrators stood firm outside the centre premises and demonstrated there. They expressed their burning anger against American imperialism and the Bush administration. The demonstrators comprised CPI(M) members and supporters, activists of the trade unions, AIDWA, SFI and DYFI, college and university teachers, and others. Women formed a good chunk of the demonstrators. They burnt the American president George Bush’s effigy at the entrance of the railway station. This was not to the liking of the police who, taken aback by this action, roughed up some of the demonstrators.

The demonstrators were arrested for breaking the prohibitory order and taken to the near by Azad Maidan police station. Amongst those arrested were CPI(M) leaders Ahilya Ranganekar, K L Bajaj, Mahendra Singh, Sayeed Ahmed, Ashok Banerji, Dr S K Rage and Ramsagar Pande, AIDWA leaders Sugandhi Francis, Sonia Gill, Armaity Irani and Prema Nair, CITU leaders Dr Vivek Monteiro, P R Krishnan, Adinath Tiwari, K R Raghu, Sadanand Naik, U K Nair, DYFI leader Shailendra Kamble and others.