Thousands of people across the country on Wednesday took to the streets in a citizens’ protest named ‘Not in My Name’ against the recent incidents of mob killings. Holding placards that read: “Break the Silence,” “No Place for Islamophobia” and “Shed Hate not Blood” among others, the protesters said they had gathered to send out a message that there was a need to unite for a cause.
At the Jantar Mantar in the national capital, among those who took part were family members of 17-year-old Junaid, who was stabbed to death on June 22 on board a train, which he had taken with his two brothers after Id shopping in Delhi. A group of men allegedly hurled communal slurs and attacked them after an altercation over seats.
The “Not In My Name” campaign began after a Facebook post by film-maker Saba Dewan against the stabbing of Junaid. He sought to “reclaim the Constitution” and “resist the onslaught” on the right to life and equality.
In Mumbai, people braved rains to come out in large numbers. Actors Shabana Azmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rajat Kapoor and Ranvir Shorey and activist Arpita Chatterjee were among those who participated in the protest held at Carter Road in suburban Bandra. In Kolkata, among the protesters was film-maker Aparna Sen. Protests were also held in Allahabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram.
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