Sat Nov 30 16:17:25 UTC 2024: ## Bengaluru Protest Group Demands Repeal of Restrictive Protest Order
**Bengaluru, November 30, 2024** – The Horaatada Hakkigagi Janandolana, a progressive organization, held a meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday demanding the immediate repeal of the Licensing and Regulation of Protests, Demonstrations, and Protest Marches (Bengaluru City) Order, 2021. The order restricts protests to Freedom Park within the city.
The group unanimously called for the lifting of all restrictions on protests statewide and the withdrawal of FIRs filed against individuals for dissent and peaceful protests. Political writer and activist Aakar Patel criticized the state government’s approach, arguing that requiring a “license” to protest transforms a fundamental right into a privilege. He warned that Freedom Park, like Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, risks becoming a symbolic graveyard for stifled dissent. Patel highlighted the crucial role of free speech and peaceful assembly in protecting marginalized communities.
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