In the round of events that have happened regarding the premiere of the film, Teefa In Trouble this week, earlier today a protest was also held in Karachi at Nueplex, Rashid Minhas Road. All of this started when Ali Zafar was accused of harassment by Meesha Shafi. What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned out to be the quite the opposite when the cinema management called the Police and Rangers to deal with the protesters.
This picked up on Twitter, and people started sharing it in support of the protesters.
Protesting #AliZafar #TeefaInTrouble premiere tmrw. Bring placards, if you can. Nueplex, Gulistan-e-Johar, 2:30 PM, sharp.
Protest will be peaceful & we, as citizens, legally have right to stage a demonstration. sexual predators are not welcome.#TeefaISTrouble #BoycottTeefa
— sophia ahmed (@sophiaahmed) July 20, 2018
Protesters are being abused at Nueplex karachi. pic.twitter.com/OeJZ9zpPZ2
— Yusra Amjad (@YusraBeeni) July 21, 2018
Nueplex’s security confiscated their phones and made them delete the videos that were made as well.
The Rangers allegedly mistreated the protesters, who were apparently gathered unarmed, in the hope for a peaceful protest against the said film.
Reportedly, the protesters were also detained in the basement and were beaten up before finally let go of.
URGENT: #NUEPLEX RASHID MINHAS HAS CALLED RANGERS ON PEACEFUL PROTESTORS IN #KARACHI AND HAS REPORTEDLY DETAINED THEM IN BASEMENT TO BEAT THEM UP
— Haseem 🌈 (@haseemuzzaman) July 21, 2018
There are recollections of what happened in entirety.
SUMMARY OF A PROTESTOR'S ACCOUNT:
Protesters at Nuplex Gulshan-e-Johar were told to vacate the premises with the threat of force. While leaving, their phones were confiscated.
They were misled and brought to the basement of cinema where they were surrounded by armed guards…— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
Upon attempting to leave, there was pushing and shoving. A protester had a gun pointed at their face. One protester's glasses were knocked off from being punched in the face by the police.
— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
They were force to kneel, and one protester was grabbed by their hair and pulled them down.
They were made to wait while the Rangers were called. The entire time they were being yelled at.— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
They were subsequently loaded into the mobile van as their personal details were taken down until interventions with the police resulted in the realization that the Nuplex administration had been in the wrong.
— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
Pictures also surfaced, clearly showing marks and wounds that one of the protesters allegedly got after being beaten up by the authorities.
While the protesters were let go eventually, they reported being forced to kneel and allegedly had guns pointed at them and were also hit with guns. According to a tweet, an 18-year-old protester was threatened with 5 guns pointed in his face.
Visible marks on one of the protestors#TeefaInTrouble #BoycottTeefa pic.twitter.com/oo1Pa4eiaD
— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
They also reportedly arrested around 8 students and a journalist.
URGENT: Reports from Karachi that Nueplex cinema has called in Rangers against peaceful protestors & security has confiscated their phones, making them delete videos of protests. How insecure is the Teefa team? Getting away with harassment is NOT going to be easy, @AliZafarsays.
— Usama Khilji (@UsamaKhilji) July 21, 2018
People believe that in an attempt to cover the scene up, the authorities have been alleged to wrongly frame those arrested by saying that they were carrying wine bottles with them.
Remember, film buffs, film reviewers and film writers, Nueplex Cinemas used force and violence and planted evidence against teenagers. Teens.
Just to support Ali Zafar.
One hopes you'll never set foot in their complexes again, but one is a fool.
— Tony Khan (@anthonypermal) July 21, 2018
Attempts to falsely implicate the protesters were also made by Nuplex administration by planting an empty bottle of alcohol.
— prima facie female (@shmyla) July 21, 2018
Of course, not everyone believes this is the case.
Usama pls tell the whole story, or if you are not aware of the facts then let me tell you that my friends are there at d Nuplex cinema. They witnessed the whole scene. WINE BOTTLES were recovered from those so called peaceful protestors. Matlb zara si sharam bachi ha ya nhi?
— Danial Yousaf (@Daniyal_AZian) July 21, 2018
However, most people all over can’t wrap their heads around the incident and are condemning the cinema’s authorities, all while supporting the protesters.
nueplex called the RANGERS on PEACEFUL protesters. they’re so threatened by civil resistance, ordinary people being empowered enough to stand up for justice, that they would bring guns to a word fight. they thought it would deter people from protesting. don’t let them be right.
— shy fawkes (@aloovibes) July 21, 2018
Says a lot about an "alleged" harasser & all the corporations tied to/linked with his name to use brutal state force + summon MILITARY against young peaceful protestors #TeefaInTrouble #TeefaisTrouble
— mariam ☀ (@cloudsofsulphur) July 21, 2018
And are calling out to boycott the cinema altogether for their appalling measures.
honestly i will NOT be going to nueplex again, no bullshit apology from them can fix their actions. what was the reason for physically harming PEACEFUL protestors? taking away their phones and making them delete videos? fucking gross behavior which is clearly an abuse of power.
— vin 🌹 (@tiredsneeza) July 21, 2018
While holding peaceful protests and demonstrations is a right granted to the citizens of this country, it is still a shocking sight to see administration and officials taking actions against citizens who just wanted to record their protest while staying within the law.
What do you think about the incident? Let us know in the comments.
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