A peaceful protest at Bareilly , Uttar Pradesh, organised by Maulana Tauqeer, went sour on Friday, September 26, as police used tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse protesters who were merely seeking the cancellation of FIRs connected with the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign.

Video of the event circulating on social media indicates several protesters being hit, questioning the police response’s proportionality.

The protesters had assembled to present a memorandum after Friday prayers, asking the authorities to re-examine the FIRs that have been registered in relation to the campaign, which came in response to action being taken against ‘I Love Muhammad’ banners in Kanpur .

In spite of earlier warnings by the UP police against disrupting public peace, the protest allegedly intensified on

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