India prevents defiant flag-raising in held Kashmir

Thousands of policemen in held Kashmir have prevented both Hindu nationalists and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front from raising flags for their respective causes on India's national day. The divided Himalayan region is home to a long-running separatist insurgency. It is also claimed in its entirety by Pakistan.
Leaders of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party had wanted to hoist the Indian national flag Wednesday in a occupied Srinagar square that is a frequent site of anti-India protests. In reaction, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front said it would raise its party flag in the same square, known as Lal Chowk. But armed police sealed off Lal Chowk, allowing no one in on Wednesday.