Kiss protest organisers, opponents held

Mangalore Today News Network

Kozhikode, Dec 7, (PTI): Police took into custody some activists of the ’Kiss of Love’ campaign, who had converged at the moffusil bus-stand here today to protest against moral policing and workers of ’Hanuman Sena’ who were opposing them.

Kozhikode City Police Commissioner A V George told PTI that some activists of the ’Kiss of Love’ and ’Hanuman Sena’ have been taken into custody.

Some activists of ’Kiss of Love’ had just reached the bus-stand for the protest when they were whisked away.

"We are looking at the situation. So far no ban has been imposed in the area. If there is a law and order issue, we will think about it," he said.

Rahul Pasupalan, IT professional and short filmmaker and one of the organisers of the ’Kiss of Love’ protest, had said it was to be held around three pm at the bus-stand and they were expecting over 1,000 participants.

A Facebook collective of "Free Thinkers" led by Rahul had been arrested and removed by police when they tried to stage the Kiss protest on November 2 at Kochi.

However, there was an outpouring of solidarity for the cause represented by the collective and similar protests were held in various places outside Kerala, including college campuses.

Among those participating in the protest is a theatre group of Transgenders from Chennai.

The Group of Facebook users had called for the programme to protest the vandalism by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha volunteers at a hotel in Kozhikode, alleging that immoral activities were going on there.