Civil society groups demand lifting of Bengaluru protest curbs
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India · Oct 26, 2026
Is it still on?
NOIt was a one-day action on Oct 26.
Last report · checked
The Tea in three lines
- Why they are protesting
- Civil society groups are protesting restrictions confining all demonstrations in Bengaluru to Freedom Park.
- What they want
- They demand that the government revoke the 2021 order limiting protests to Freedom Park and quash all FIRs related to outside protests.
- What changed
- Oct 26: Civil society groups passed a resolution giving the government until November 26 to lift protest curbs or face a civil disobedience movement on November 28.
Both sides
What protesters want
- Revoke restrictions limiting protests to Freedom Park
- Quash all FIRs registered for protesting outside Freedom Park
Organised by: Campaign for the Right to Protest, Karnataka Pragathipara Beedi Vyaparigala Sangha, Sadhana Mahila Sangha
What authorities say
No official response reported in the sources.
The full story
Civil society groups, trade unions, student organisations, and other advocates convened a round-table discussion at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru on October 26, 2026, organised by the Campaign for the Right to Protest. Participants criticised the Karnataka government for restricting public demonstrations exclusively to Freedom Park under a 2021 police order and subsequent High Court interim order. Speakers, including historian Ramachandra Guha and representatives from various associations, argued that confining protests to a single remote location undermines democracy and makes public dissent invisible. They issued a deadline of November 26, Constitution Day, for the government to revoke the restrictions, warning that a city-wide civil disobedience movement would begin on November 28 if their demands are ignored. Additionally, the groups demanded the cancellation of all FIRs registered against individuals for demonstrating outside Freedom Park.
Timeline
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