Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian women “occupy the night streets” to protest reported mass molestation

Hundreds of women gathered in over 30 towns and cities across India late on Saturday (21), saying they were “occupying the night streets” to demand safety in public spaces after reports of the mass molestation of women in Bengaluru city on New Year’s Eve.

From the capital New Delhi to Kolkata in the east, Chennai in the south and Mumbai in the west, activists, students, and professionals gathered at marches and street plays or sang songs and recited poetry on equality for women.


The participants, which also included many men, chanted slogans such as “Freedom, Freedom, Freedom!” and held banners saying “Take back the night. Break the silence. End the violence” and “Nobody asks what my molester was wearing.”

“Since the age of 12, I have never felt comfortable or safe on the streets - day or night, but first time I have ever attended a march like this ,” said Anuradha Sinha, 37, a program manager at a e-commerce company.

“I have a 3-year-old daughter and given the situation we face today in terms of sexual harassment, I don’t want my daughter to grow up and endure we have to go through every day. It has to change.”

The marches coincided with marches being held around the world following U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, but organisers of the #IWillGoOut campaign said their demands were different from those in other countries.

The campaign in India was launched this month after reports of sexual assaults during celebrations on Dec. 31 in Bengaluru, where several women were allegedly groped and assaulted by a mob in the city’s central business district.

The state home minister later told television networks “such incidents do happen”, while another politician blamed women for following “western culture”, dressing inappropriately and staying out late.

The attacks, reminiscent of those blamed on migrants in German cities during New Year’s Eve celebrations in 2015, shocked many Indians, since Bengaluru, home to many well-educated professionals, is regarded as safer for women than New Delhi.

Sex crimes are common in India, where the National Crime Record Bureau says more than 34,000 rapes were reported in 2015, although women sometimes do not report assaults for fear of the associated social stigma.

The fatal gang rape of a woman by six assailants aboard a bus in Delhi in December 2012 sparked global outrage and led to calls for greater protection for women moving around India’s cities.

While the government has brought in tougher legislation on sexual assault, activists say more could have been done.

At least 30 Indian towns and cities - including Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Puducherry, Lucknow, Pune, Jammu, Dharamsala and Bhopal - held events, with a few hundred participants turning out in each city, said organisers.

In Bengaluru, where around 300 people gathered, organisers said most women have experienced being pinched, groped, molested, or faced lewd comments in public—from travelling on the bus to shopping in the market to walking in the street.

“I have so many stories of being made to feel uncomfortable in public spaces,” said Divya Titus, one of the organisers of the Bengaluru march.

“Despite a legislation, we still see sexual harassment. I decided enough is enough. We have to stop normalising these events.”

More For You

John Major

Major said that American isolationism under President Donald Trump is creating a power vacuum that benefits Russia and China. (Photo: Getty Images)

John Major warns US isolation strengthens Russia and China

FORMER prime minister Sir John Major has warned that democracy is under threat as the United States retreats from its global leadership role.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend, Major said that American isolationism under President Donald Trump is creating a power vacuum that benefits Russia and China.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham-stabbing

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed on Saturday afternoon in Bordesley Green. (Photo: X/@MarioNawfal)

Stabbings on the rise as Birmingham residents protest attack on teen

A RISE in stabbing incidents across the country has raised concerns, with another attack in Birmingham prompting a protest by local residents.

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed on Saturday afternoon in Bordesley Green. West Midlands Police said he was attacked at about 15:30 GMT and was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is now in stable condition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian court sentences man to life for rape, murder of Irish woman
McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Indian court sentences man to life for rape, murder of Irish woman

A COURT in India’s Goa state has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of an Irish woman in 2017. The verdict was delivered on Monday, nearly eight years after the crime.

The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found in March 2017 on a beach popular with tourists. An autopsy confirmed that cerebral damage and constriction of the neck caused her death.

Keep ReadingShow less
Michael O’Sullivan

Over his career, Michael O’Sullivan rode 95 winners in Ireland and Britain, including 14 in Ireland and two in Britain this season. (Photo: X/@irishracing)

Irish jockey Michael O’Sullivan dies after fall at Thurles

IRISH jockey Michael O’Sullivan has died after sustaining injuries in a fall at Thurles, Ireland, on 6 February. The 24-year-old had been in an induced coma in intensive care at Cork University Hospital since the incident.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s (IHRB) chief medical officer, Dr Jennifer Pugh, confirmed his passing early Sunday morning, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rizwana Bokhari

Rizwana Bokhari passed away on 10 February 2025, at the age of 73.

Hundreds attend funeral of Rizwana Bokhari in London

OVER 700 people attended the funeral of Rizwana Bokhari at Balham Mosque, the oldest mosque in South London, on Friday, 14 February.

Mourners included faith leaders from across the UK, international guests from America and Asia, and political figures.

Keep ReadingShow less