The Kerala Police detained four people for five hours, preventing them from attending a Kerala Blasters FC vs Hyderabad FC football match in Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for wearing keffiyehs, a symbol of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. The group of friends identified as Rejaz, Abdullah, Ameen and Midhlaj was waiting in the ticket queue on Thursday, November 7 when the police took them to the Palarivattom police station at around 7 pm.
Rejaz said the Malappuram crime branch police have contacted the relatives of Ameen in connection with the incident. Even though Kerala Blasters FC lists 28 banned items into the stadium, there are no rules that prohibit the audience from wearing a keffiyeh and watching the match. The incident comes on the heels of French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) fans unfurling a large tifo that says Free Palestine in the Champions League match, which avoided disciplinary action as the tournament organiser UEFA said it bans only political messages deemed insulting or provocative.
Rejaz told TNM that they had no intentions for a protest and wore the keffiyeh only because of their pro-Palestine politics. “We did not carry any banner, placard or flag. I came for the match as my friends called me saying there were tickets available. When we were waiting in the ticket queue, the Assistant Commissioner of Police asked what keffiyeh was. He said this would not be allowed inside. I told him the rules did not ban us from wearing this in a polite way. He asked for our names and asked us to wait after hearing my name. Later, more policemen came to the scene and the ACP asked us to come to the police station for a clarification after a few phone calls,” he said.
Rejaz, who is also a popular independent journalist, explained that they were questioned on the lines of their religion. “When Abdullah, who resides in Thiruvananthapuram, said that he is a cleric in a mosque, the Circle Inspector asked whether we all go to Madrasas. Since my other friends accompanying me were from Malappuram and Palakkad, the CI asked us why people from different districts came together for the match. But we all know that a Kerala Blasters match is not attended only by residents of Ernakulam. Then a lot of personal details, such as how we know each other, what was our intention, what books we read, the politics we hold among other things were asked,” he added.
According to Rejaz, the police did not have any reason as to why they were taken into preventive custody. “I believe one reason for my detention might be my history of political activism. They said that they got information that we were planning to hold a protest. No case was registered and we were released at 12 AM after two people signed at the station. Our mug shots were taken and were advised to take permission and protest,” he said.
Highlighting previous incidents where they have taken permission and held protests, Rejaz said that taking permission did not guarantee their rights and even led to further intimidation. He said that they do not get involved in emotional outrage, but conduct awareness programmes about how all governments are complicit in what’s going on in Gaza and how Zionism and Hindutva are interlinked.
Rejaz also said that there have been instances where he has been disinvited from events because of police action. “It is a form of social isolation, which I have been facing since 2019. We had held a protest at Manorama Hortus as they were giving free cups of Coca Cola, a company that funds the genocide in Israel [This is in line with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement by Palestinians that promote boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel]. A special branch officer visited the mosque over this incident, which led to Abdullah losing his job. Another youth, who attended the event, was threatened that the police would invoke the UAPA Act. Such cases of intimidation often occur,” he added.