A thousand-strong Muharram procession in Srinagar’s city centre turned into a show of solidarity with Palestinians on Monday, with protesters defying the administration by waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha’s administration has strictly barred pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Kashmir since the outbreak of the Gaza war and even shut down Jamia Masjid on several occasions to prevent an outpouring of support for Palestine.

The administration on Monday allowed the Shia community to take out a procession to mark the eighth day of mourning of the death of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson on the traditional Guru Bazar-Dalgate route in Srinagar.

The procession, banned for more than three decades, was allowed for the first time last year in an attempt to forge relations with the Valley’s Shia minority.

There were no restrictions on the procession this year too, but mourners were directed to keep it strictly apolitical.

The procession started from Guru Bazar and passed through the designated route via Jehangir Chowk and Maulana Azad Road before culminating at Dalgate. The procession was bigger this time and continued for much of the day although the organisers were granted a limited time window to avoid inconveniencing the commuters.

Many in the procession waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in support of Palestine as they walked slowly through the city centre.

Traffic on city roads was diverted and barricades were erected at multiple places to facilitate the procession.

Muharram processions were banned after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir as authorities were apprehensive that separatists might misuse the large gathering for ulterior motives. Spearheaded by a separatist Shia group, the procession always used to metamorphose into a pro-Azadi demonstration. The group would routinely defy police to take out the procession in the face of tear gas shells and cane charges.

Kashmiri Sunnis, who form around half of Jammu and Kashmir’s population, were in the vanguard of the separatist movement and got support from other Muslim communities.

Many believe the government has all along tried to woo other Muslim groups — Kashmiri Shias, Gujjars and Paharis — to break the “Muslim unity” but without much success.