Police Remove Jamia Graffiti, Twitter Reminds Them of ‘Priorities’

Graffiti in Jamia and Shaheen Bagh were painted over by the Delhi Police, after they cleared the two protest sites.

After clearing the protest site at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia, in view of the lockdown imposed in Delhi due to coronavirus outbreak, the Delhi Police, on Tuesday, 24 March, removed and paint over the art installations and graffiti at both places.

The protest graffiti at @jamiamillia_ being defaced by the labourers brought in by @DelhiPolice . After clearing the protest site at #ShaheenaBagh, the same was done to the graffiti and the caricatures there. @TheQuint pic.twitter.com/Pe0aHc8nuR

— Asmita Nandy (@NandyAsmita) March 24, 2020

While Jamia had called off its three-month long protest at Gate No. 7 on 21 March to follow the guidelines enforced by CM Arvind Kejriwal to curb coronavirus, Shaheen Bagh had decided to continue its sit-in symbolically with five to seven protesters.

Simeen, one of the graffiti artists at Jamia, said, “We stand victorious. Our graffiti have reached where it was supposed to reach, that is why they were removed today.” (sic)

Twitter was quick to remind the Delhi police – and the Central government who controls the Delhi Police – of their “priorities” in the wake of a national health crisis.

This is insanity! Resistance art on walls of Jamia Millia Islamia being whitewashed at the time when these workers should have been at home. Shows that removing Shaheen Bagh protest site this morning wasn't only about Coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/0fd2d1gMRT

— Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa (@vijdankawoosa) March 24, 2020

When Jamia students' have suspended their protest amid #CoronavirusPandemic then why Delhi Police is vandalising wall paintings and murals in Jamia campus? Are these paintings of resistance bigger threat than pandemic? pic.twitter.com/Ly1cm7nOPI

— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) March 24, 2020

At a time when every human allowed on the streets should be working the most vulnerable survive, the priority is to erase the beautiful protest murals from Jamia. The small-minded men who rule us will never be able to eliminate the voices of our resistance for the Constitution https://t.co/Sj5Lelcb3J

— Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) March 24, 2020

Shame on the Govt that thinks that during a pandemic, it's priority must be to deface protest art from walls of Jamia Millia Islamia. हम घास हैं. तुम्हारे हर किए धरे पर उग आयेंगे. You cowards put workers at risk to do THIS that you think is "essential". pic.twitter.com/hACXqgojpF

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) March 24, 2020

Coz these walls carry #Covid19 ?
Or a bigger virus that only the State is scared of?
Well, white washing won’t erase the sins and injustice. They are smeared in the hearts and souls.
Shameful that this was done today. https://t.co/PjOBAlE9MN

— Sayema (@_sayema) March 24, 2020

Apparently wall graffitis are latest #CoronaVirus carriers? 🤨🙄 What insecurities and priorities!! https://t.co/97wFYL2j8K

— Smita Sharma (@Smita_Sharma) March 24, 2020