Thousands join Mumbai student protest after police detentions ahead of rally

What began as a show of solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Partys CJP ongoing education reforms protest in Delhi snowballed into one of Mumbais biggest student demonstrations on Wednesday as a small gathering outside Shivaji Park grew into a crowd of thousands after police began detaining suspected participants even before the demonstration officially startedProtesters march through Dadar after regrouping near Sena Bhavan during Wednesdayrsquos demonstrationAs students regrouped near Sena Bhavan to avoid heavy police deployment around Shivaji Park the crowd swelled through word of mouth By evening protesters had occupied roads halted traffic and surrounded police vans carrying detained demonstrators prompting officers to release some of them before gradually dispersing the crowdA protester sits on the road as police attempt to detain demonstrators during Wednesdayrsquos protest in DadarDeputy Commissioner of Police Zone III Mahendra Pandit said police were acting on magistrates orders ldquoThe reason why we are here is to maintain law and order As per the magistrates orders we have been deployed to ensure gatherings without permission are controlledrdquoThe turning point during the protestA protester offers a rose to a police officer during Wednesdayrsquos student demonstration in DadarThe protest gained momentum after students abandoned Shivaji Park where police presence was heavy and regrouped near Sena Bhavan As more people arrived through word of mouth the crowd grew from a few dozen to thousands transforming a planned gathering into a citywide show of supportPolice speakDCP Mahendra PanditldquoThe reason why we are here is to maintain law and order As per the magistratersquos orders we have been deployed to ensure gatherings without permission are controlledrdquoWhy the crowd shiftedAccording to protesters heavy police deployment around Shivaji Park forced them to change strategyKarthikeyan ViswanathanldquoThe original plan was Shivaji Park but there were many police personnel there So we decided to gather near Sena Bhavan instead As people spread the word the crowd kept growingrdquo He said protesters later marched via Plaza before heading towards Shivaji Park and Raj Thackerayrsquos residenceVoices from the protestAllroi DrsquoSouzaldquoI have three sons and two of them are preparing for their MBAs I am here because these students are asking the right questions Their protests in Mumbai have been completely peaceful I empathise with those affected by the alleged NEET paper leak Thatrsquos what brought me hererdquoProtester name withheldldquoI was here before the protest began and was hurt when police tried taking me towards the vans Seeing so many people gather showed we are not afraid to ask questions even if there is a fear of detention or criminal casesrdquoHow the protest unfolded350 pmPolice begin detaining people suspected of participating even before the scheduled start4 pmOfficial protest time several students who acknowledged attending are detained430 pmA silent march is stopped and protesters are asked to disperse5 pmSome participants are detained after requesting permission to continue530 pmStudents regroup near Sena Bhavan where numbers rapidly swell into the thousands545 pmCrowd surrounds a police van carrying detainees and raises slogans Police release some detained protesters6 pmProtesters march towards Shivaji Park briefly disrupting traffic630 pmSome enter Shivaji Park before police move them back onto surrounding roads634 pmMNS chief Raj Thackeray addresses students gathered outside his residence645 pmPolice disperse the crowd and traffic gradually returns to normal