India: Dozens injured as police clash with protesters in Bengaluru August 11

Event

At least three people were killed on the night of Tuesday, August 11, as police clashed with Muslim protesters in the Karnataka state capital Bengaluru. Members of the Muslim community are reported to have gathered at the residence of a local politician in the Kadugondanahalli area of the city late in on Tuesday evening after inflammatory material was posted on social media. The protesters allegedly threw stones at police and set fire to around two dozen vehicles in the area before security forces used tear gas and warning shots to disperse the crowd. A police station in the area is also reported to have been attacked during the disturbance, with fires being started in an adjacent vehicle lot.

According to local officials, 165 people were arrested following the clashes and at least 60 police officers injured, although it is currently unclear how many protesters were wounded. The person behind the inflammatory social media post, the nephew of a local politician, is also reported to have been arrested.

Unrest in the city has subsided on Wednesday, August 12, but tensions in the Kadugondanahalli area remain elevated and there is a realistic possibility of further protests in the near term.  

Advice

Those in Bengaluru are advised to monitor developments, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution, anticipate a heightened security presence and localized business and transportation disruptions in the Kadugondanahalli area, and obey all instructions issued by local authorities.