Social media users and other netizens should move beyond the virtual space and hit the streets to protest against online abuse and bullying to assert their democratic rights in the digital space, activists said yesterday. In a panel discussion organised as part of an event by the Amnesty India here, JNU student leader Shehla Rashid and activist-author Gurmehar Kaur shared their views, while deliberating on confronting the threat posed by online violence against women. "What we are seeing today is replication of 'violence' and abuse happening online in offline domain. This culture of violence is really worrying," Rashid said.

The JNU students leader said she has often faced abuse on social media platforms like Facebook which amounts to violation of democratic rights, online or offline. "Online abuse, verbal or otherwise, injects doubts in the minds of readers, and makes the the person being abused less credible in their eyes. It essentially renders them as a second-class citizens. Today, we have to think twice before posting anything online, so that impinges on our freedom of expression," she said. Bullying cannot be allowed in the garb of freedom of speech, Rashid said. Kaur, who had also faced online abuse for her posts, said, social media users must speak up and "not stay silent" on such issues.