A Day of Protests

A visual account of the anti-government protests against the gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in New Delhi

The protests against the brutal gang rape of a 23 year old in the national capital last week were unprecedented even for a photographer like me from Kashmir. As demonstrators tried crossing the barricade to march on towards Rashtrapati Bhawan, they were faced with a huge deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary soldiers, which were later joined by the Rapid Action Force. First the water canon was used as a deterrent, but soon I found myself stuck in the middle between the police throwing tear gas shells and the students showering stones back at them at Vijay Chowk. Anti-government slogans echoed all around for the whole day. Hundreds of youths damaged police vehicles and public property. As the skies dimmed, a candle light vigil and patriotic songs took over. The protestors kept urging all of us to be citizens first and then a photographer or even the police. They urged all to join in the protest while the police carried on their job to impose Section 144 warning us to leave.

gang rapeNew Delhiprotests