The UN Human Rights office urged demonstrators and the government Friday to”exercise maximum restraint” during farmers’ protest in India as policecomplained of tweets by Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
“The rights to peaceful assembly and expression should be protected bothoffline and online,” the office tweeted regarding the issue that has turnedstreet protests into a Twitter war. “It’s crucial to find equitablesolutions with due respect to human rights for all.”
Thunberg tweeted support for the protests, which led police Thursday tocomplain about the Swedish climate campaigner, according to reports.
The cyber exchanges highlighted social media campaigning and the reactionthat has again come to the fore in large protests in different countries.
A New Delhi police spokesman told Anadolu Agency that he does not have anydetails to offer regarding the development around the Swedish activist.
Thunberg said she still “supports their peaceful protest” after the newdevelopment.
“No amount of hate, threats, or violations of human rights will ever changethat,” she wrote.
Thousands of farmers have demonstrated on the outskirts of Delhi sinceNovember against laws meant to liberalize the agriculture sector.
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Farmers claim the new rules will threaten their livelihoods.
While the protests were peaceful when they began, they turned violentJan.26, when farmers broke police barricades to storm the historic Red Fortin New Delhi, injuring at least 400 officers.
The government cut off the internet at protest sites, installed iron nailsand put barbed wire to barricade protesting areas.
Earlier, the government issued a disproportionate response to a tweet frompopstar Rihanna supporting massive protests against the new laws.
“The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments,especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accuratenor responsible,” said a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
