Pop star Rihanna set off a series of tweets from well-known individuals in solidarity with the protesting farmers in and around New Delhi when she tweeted her support for the protesting farmers on Tuesday.
“Why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest” Rihanna wrote above a post of a news report on the government cutting off internet services in certain areas around Delhi. The Haryana government had suspended mobile internet services in 14 districts last week and earlier this week in view of the farmers’ protests, citing reasons of public order.
Shortly after Rihanna’s tweet, teenage climate activist and icon Greta Thunberg wrote: “ We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India,” tweeting a link to the same report.
Meena Harris, the niece of U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, who shares a close relationship with the Vice-President, also reacted on Tuesday to the farmers’ protest shortly after Rihanna and Ms. Thunberg.
“It’s no coincidence that the world’s oldest democracy was attacked not even a month ago, and as we speak, the most populous democracy is under assault. This is related. We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters,” she said in one of several tweets .
Ms. Harris also posted a photograph of mostly women protesters holding a placard that read, ‘ Stop Killing Farmers.’
In another tweet she said, “Trump may have left office, but look around: the tide is still rising.”
“Militant nationalism is just as potent a force in US politics as it is in India or anyplace else. It can only be stopped if people wake up to the reality that FASCIST DICTATORS aren’t going anywhere. Not unless: 1) we organize and 2) THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CAPITOL ATTACK,” she said, referring to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Mr. Trump supporters seeking to overthrow the election results.
Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Jim Costa also tweeted about the protests.
“The unfolding events in India are troubling,” he wrote. “As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am closely monitoring the situation. The right to peaceful protest must always be respected. #FarmersProtest”.
