THOUSANDS of people, many waving Pakistani and Kashmiri flags, protested outside the Indian High Commission in London on Thursday (15) in support of Kashmir.
India's decision to revoke special status of Kashmir, along with a communications blackout and curbs on movement, caused fury in Pakistan, which cut trade and transport links and expelled India's envoy in retaliation.
In London, protesters carried banners saying "Kashmir is Burning", "Free Kashmir" and "Modi: Make Tea Not War", according to a reporter.
Police was keeping a small counter-demonstration apart from the main protest.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi delivered an Independence Day speech on Thursday that spotlighted his decision to remove the special rights of Kashmir among the bold moves of his second term.
Many of the London protesters had come to the capital from other English cities on specially chartered buses.
"We want to show our solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers," said Amin Tahir, a British pensioner of Kashmiri origin who came from Birmingham on one of the coaches.
"Since 1947 Kashmir has been struggling to be free from India. Now Modi has changed the law by force to stop Kashmir’s autonomy," he said.
(Reuters)
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event