Australia vs Pakistan: Police keep strict vigil as fans barred from displaying provocative posters, shouting slogans

Bengaluru: The policemen deployed at the M Chinnaswamy stadium premises adopted some strict controlling measures to keep fans in check to avoid disruptions during the World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan here on Friday.

The police asked the fans not to use black dress as a mark of protest, though they did not bar anyone from wearing clothes of that particular colour while entering the stands.

However, the police asked the fans not to use placards with provocative slogans.

"We were instructed to check placards and banners of fans before they enter the stadium, so that there will not be any untoward incident,” said on official manning the stadium security on condition of anonymity.

B Dayanand, the City Police Commissioner, has in fact given special instructions to his officers in this regard, particularly because the city had seen a couple of protest marches in support of Palestine during the on-going conflict with Israel.

Later, a video surfaced in X (formerly Twitter) in which a policeman was telling a fan in the stands not to shout slogans that may go down well with the rest of the spectators.

It was claimed that the policeman tried to dissuade the fan from shouting "Pakistan Zindabad. It is a word from the higher authorities that fans should not be allowed to engage in provocative acts. So, we are following it," the cop said.