UK: Sikh separatists protest in London August 12

Event

The Sikh separatist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), will hold a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday, August 12, beginning at 15:00 (local time), to call for a referendum to give Sikhs an independent state of Khalistan in what is now Punjab, India. Pro-India supporters are expected to hold a counter-protest against the separatist group. Heightened security measures and localized traffic disruptions are expected near the demonstration sites. Clashes between protesters and counter-protesters cannot be ruled out.

Context

In July, the British government denied India's request to ban the SFJ demonstration citing its citizens' right to gather and demonstrate.

The Sikh separatist movement seeks to create a separate country called Khalistan in the Punjab region of South Asia, which has a Sikh-majority population and serves as the traditional home of the Sikh religion. The proposed country of Khalistan would include what is now Punjab, India along with Punjab, Pakistan, and parts of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan.

Advice

Individuals in London are advised to avoid demonstrations as a precaution and to anticipate traffic disruptions in the vicinity of the protests.