On 19 September 2025, a large rally was held in the city, organized by a coalition of groups, including, Dravidianist film personalities, and Islamist outfits to demand an end to Israel’s ongoing war against the Palestinian.
The protest, which took place on Langs Garden Road in Pudupet, saw the participation of over 5,000 individuals, including leaders such as Thol. Thirumavalavan, the head of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, M.H. Jawahirullah, president of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Dehlan Baqavi of the Socialist Democratic Party of India, rabid Separatist Thirumurugan Gandhi, the coordinator of the May 17 Movement, and Dravidianist personalities like Sathyaraj and Prakash Raj, as well as director Ameer and Vetrimaran.
While addressing the rally, Dravidianist actor Prakash Raj stirred controversy by holding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi partly accountable for the violence in Palestine. He stated that the crisis was not solely Israel’s doing, but also the result of support from the United States and the silence of leaders like Modi.
Prakash Raj said, “Why are you artists coming here? If speaking against an injustice is politics, then we will speak politics. There is a poem, this war will end, all the leaders will hand shake and leave, but the truth is that there is a mother waiting for his son, a woman waiting for her husband, children waiting for their father. We do not know who sold this nation and land. But we know who paid the price for it. This is what will happen if we remain silent. There is an answer for them who ask why do artist like you talk like this. A poet who says that if I do not want politics in my poetry, I want to hear the sound of birds. If I want to hear the sound of birds, the sound of warplanes must stop. The rain is coming. Finally, I will say a word and speak. What I, all of us, have to say to this world is that even if it is a wound to our individual body, our silence will heal it. But if I remain silent and do nothing for a wounded nation, it will be more of an injury to a country and humanity. Therefore, before we die… we should not die. Let us fight. This voice will be heard. This is not only Israel’s fault but also America’s which supports it, and also Modi, who remains silent, is also responsible. This is not only Israel’s fault, but also the responsibility of the United States, which supports it, and Modi, who remains silent. Everyone who chooses to stay silent is also responsible. “
Speaking at the protest, DMK stooge Sathyaraj said, “The massacre happening in Gaza is unbearable to watch. How can they go and drop bombs with such a lack of humanity? When you see those children dying, how can the person who attacks Gaza sleep peacefully? Does he have no humanity? They say man evolved from apes, but these people haven’t become full human beings; they stopped halfway. That’s why they have this kind of mindset. The world nations must stop this; the UN must make a decision. Every time a community fights for its freedom, this is how genocide happens. This is how our Tamil brothers, who strived for the Tamil community to flourish in Sri Lanka, were brutally killed. Not just the fighters, but innocent people too were killed. Here too, in the name of war, Israel is planning to wipe out an entire community. The USA is aiding and abetting it.
Everyone might think, “If we hold a meeting in Chennai, will that war stop immediately?” Yes, it will. With today’s social media, if we raise our voice against injustice from any corner of the world, it will reach the entire world. A woman and a man working in the American military were arrested for protesting that America should not give them missiles and weapons. A lone woman and man, who work in the American army, raised their voices loudly without caring about anything, when I saw that, it made me so emotional.
Participating in a meeting like this is the duty of artists like us. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the leaders and comrades here. We actors, like me, my brother Prakash Raj, Vetri Maaran, and our brother Ameer, we act in cinema. That’s a business. We have some talent, and we use that talent to earn money and support our families. But if our popularity, our fame, our reputation is not used for such human rights and human liberation causes, then there is no point (m*yir*kum) in being a famous actor.
For these leaders, going to jail has become an ordinary thing. For my brother Thirumurugan Gandhi, it’s a normal matter. For all the leaders here fighting for the oppressed people, for them, this struggle, the police beatings, and jail are an everyday occurrence, like my brother Thirumavalavan. The people sitting on this stage are the real heroes. We are all “shadow heroes.” Everyone should understand that. Therefore, when we raise our voices against the injustices happening in the world, all people must come together and raise their voices. This is my request. There is no religion, no caste, no God, and no country in this. There is only humanity. Don’t think this is a meeting in support of our Islamic brothers. This is a meeting in support of humanity. Don’t forget that life is common to everyone.”
Sathyaraj also took a moment during the rally to read out a statement of condemnation issued by Dravidar Kazhagam chief K. Veeramani, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and denouncing the ongoing violence.
Similarly speaking at the protest, Dravidianist director Vetrimaran said, “I believe it is the responsibility of every one of us, as an artist and as a human being, to stand in support of people wherever they are being oppressed and wherever they are being killed by oppression. On that basis, what is happening in Palestine is a planned, century-long, systematic genocide. Knowing that civilians and children are taking refuge in schools and hospitals there, they are throwing bombs. For hundreds of years, they have been destroying hundreds of acres of olive trees that are a source of livelihood for them.
They have been doing this continuously, but now they are acting with a very specific and determined plan. Today, Gaza has been declared a famine zone. The UN has declared it as such, which means one in five people are dying of hunger and one in five children are malnourished, without any nutrition. All aid is outside, and they are not allowing it inside Gaza. It is the duty of all of us to condemn this planned massacre, this genocide. I consider participating in such a protest to be my duty and my right. All human beings should gather at this place to emphasize this point. Just now Sathyaraj sir said, “Will this bring about change?” Change doesn’t happen all at once. But it is our duty to register our protest. On that basis, we have gathered here to show that we stand with the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza. I request that we continue to express our voice of protest like this.”
However, the duplicity of the Islamo-Dravidianists were evident. Those who now vocally condemn Israel’s actions were silent when Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a large-scale attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 an assault that marked the beginning of the latest round of violence often referred to as the “Gaza War” or “Israel-Hamas conflict.”
The same individuals failed to speak up during major domestic tragedies, such as the Kallakurichi hooch incident, where 69 people lost their lives, and the illicit liquor deaths in Ekkiarkuppam, Marakkanam, which claimed 14 lives. Additionally, there was minimal reaction to the custodial death of Ajith Kumar and the honor killing of Dalit techie Kavin. The only notable exception was Thirumavalavan, who condemned the honor killing but avoided criticizing his political ally, the DMK.
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