Bengaluru: The demand to move protests beyond Freedom Park is gathering momentum, with activists pushing for the right to hold demonstrations closer to the communities and institutions their grievances concern, while traders are seeking designated venues across Bengaluru to protect commercial activity.Sajjan Raj Mehta, a trade activist, has written to the chief minister proposing five protest hubs across the city. He said concentrating demonstrations in the central business district (CBD) disrupts traffic and prevents customers and workers from reaching commercial establishments, imposing financial hardship on small merchants, street vendors and transport workers.Activists say decentralisation must protect the right to dissent rather than simply relocate restrictions.The letter to the CM proposes zone-wise designated protest hubs in each of GBA’s five divisions, seeking advance public notifications and clear traffic-management protocols for permitted rallies.Prakash Bhojani, president of Karnataka Hosiery and Garment Association, told TOI traders were feeling the impact, particularly during the festive season. The association has 1,500 shops under its establishment.Kalaram Choudhury, president of Karnataka Stainless Steel Trade and Industry Association, said: “Peaceful protests are the backbone of democracy and must be respected. We request both the Centre and the state govt to provide designated protest venues outside city centres to protect public convenience, traffic, trade, and MSMEs without affecting democratic rights.”Activists from Campaign for the Right to Protest have urged the govt to withdraw the 2021 police licensing order and restore the 2009 framework. As reported by TOI on Oct 14, they have written a letter to Shivakumar and home minister Priyank Kharge, arguing that centralising demonstrations at Freedom Park has restricted marginalised groups’ ability to engage directly with authorities.They cited protests by workers, farmers, Dalit activists and residents over local civic issues, saying demonstrations should take place where grievances can be addressed — outside labour offices, the chief electoral officer’s office or other relevant institutions.Other activists pointed out that the Karnataka high court’s Aug 2022 order directed compliance with the 2021 licensing regime, and argued that the state govt retains the power to amend or withdraw it. The 2021 order itself allows the police commissioner to designate another suitable venue depending on the situation.The demand has gathered urgency amid the anti-SIR mobilisation. Activists have called for chief electoral officer (CEO) V Anbukumar’s resignation if he was “unable or unwilling to ensure the cancellation of the Special Intensive Revision in Karnataka, restoration of the electoral rolls as they stood in Jan 2025, and safeguards against arbitrary deletions”. They have also demanded a transparent, publicly accountable process for future revisions.
