Austrian tourist booked in Kerala for vandalising pro-Palestine poster

An Austrian tourist was booked by Kerala Police for allegedly destroying a pro-Palestine banner in Kochi.

According to the police, the incident happened on April 15 in Fort Kochi, and an FIR was registered the next day.

The police action came in response to a complaint filed by the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO).

A video of the incident went viral recently showing one of the two women engaged in a heated argument with the organisation activists after tearing down the banner.

According to The News Minute outlet, the woman told the locals, “You are promoting propaganda and lies.” She was then heard saying, "You guys make tourist money. You guys make money off Jewish people. But there's no Jews here, isn't that funny? I did it for the Jewish people."

Local media reports state that the mural was installed during the Cochin Carnival in December 2023.

A senior police officer told PTI news agency that one of the two female foreign tourists allegedly destroyed the pro-Palestine boards erected by the outfit called the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) in front of the Jankar Jetty.

They have been booked under IPC Section 153 for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot.

Police said the boards had contained protest messages against Israel for its attack on Palestinian territory.