- Title: "It's a fight for India": citizenship law protesters hold marches across country
- Date: 22nd December 2019
- Summary: KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA (DECEMBER 22, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF CROWD OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN A PROTEST MARCH AGAINST NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW PROTESTERS CARRYING PLACARDS, SLOGANEERING A PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD OVER HIS HEAD, READING (English): "REJECT NRC, BOYCOTT CAB" PROTESTERS CARRYING BLACK FLAGS AND PLACARDS, SLOGANEERING AGAINST INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI CLOSE OF A PLACARD IN A PROTESTER'S HANDS, READING (Hindi): "JUNIOR, MAKE TEA NOT LAWS" (A JIBE ON INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI'S PREVIOUS PROFESSION AS TEA-SELLER) VARIOUS OF A PROTESTER ON THE SHOULDERS OF ANOTHER ONE, WAVING FLAG OF INDIA AND RAISING 'AZADI' (FREEDOM) SLOGANS PROTESTERS RAISING 'AZADI' SLOGANS A PROTESTER HOLDING A PLACARD OVER HER HEAD, READING (Hindi): "SOUL OF INDIA - HINDU, CHRISTIAN, SIKH, JAIN, PARSI, BUDDHISTS, MUSLIMS" PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AN UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER, SAYING: "They have changed the constitution. Tomorrow they are going to change something else. so, this is basically fight for democracy. This is not fight for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University), this is not fight for JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) or Jamia, or this is not individual fight for anybody, this is fight for India, this is fight for democracy, basically, yeah." NEW DELHI, INDIA (DECEMBER 22, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) VARIOUS OF A WOMAN ADDRESSING THE PROTESTERS PROTESTERS FROM INDIA'S NORTHEAST SHOWING PLACARDS CLOSE OF A PLACARD VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED, AS A PROTESTER SHOWS A PLACARD READING (English): "TRAITORS OF NORTHEAST" THE NAMES OF INDIA'S RULING BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) PARLIAMENTARIANS AND LAWMAKERS OR THOSE WHO EXTENDED SUPPORT TO NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW PROTESTERS GATHERED WITH PLACARDS AND BANNERS CLOSE OF A POSTER, WITH A CARTOON OF INDIA'S INTERIOR MINISTER, AMIT SHAH WITH ALL HIS CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS A WOMAN ADDRESSING THE PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, LOMSANG ZOALI, SAYING: "Everyone has been labeling us 'xenophobic', anything (they like), any labels but it's not about that. We want to preserve our culture, our identity, and also you have to know the economic condition of the northeast. While, we cannot barely survive on our own, we cannot accommodate others. We are not turning out people because we don't want them to infiltrate us or pollute us, it is not about that." WOMAN ADDRESSING PROTESTERS OUTSIDE JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY, AS PROTESTERS CLAP VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SEATED A CHILD WEARING A HIJAB, RAISING 'AZADI' SLOGANS PROTESTERS RAISING 'AZADI' SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) PROTESTER, AZHAR KHAN, SAYING: "I request the police as well to not resort to violence. I am requesting to the police to consider us as Indians like you, we are also human beings, we also have children and family. I also request those protesters, indulging in violence to not do that and proceed with calm. To protest is our right, we will continue it, god willing, until it's rolled back." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS RAISING 'AZADI' SLOGANS IN A MARKET AREA CLOSE OF A PLACARD, READING (English): "WE ARE READY TO DIE BUT NOT ACCEPT CAB AND NRC" PROTESTERS RAISING SLOGANS OF UNITY
- Embargoed: 5th January 2020 14:19
- Keywords: Citizenship Amendment Act India Muslims Narendra Modi New Delhi citizenship protests violence
- Location: NEW DELHI/ KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA
- City: NEW DELHI/ KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001BB23TXR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: People across India gathered to protest on Sunday (December 22) against the new citizenship law, which has been drawing strong criticism from many quarters.
At least 21 people have died during clashes with police as thousands of people came out on the streets in towns and cities across the country to protest, marking the biggest challenge to Modi's leadership since he first swept to power in 2014.
The concerns of dwellers of northeastern states, especially Assam, is completely different, where they don't want any illegal immigrants in the state, irrespective of their religion.
Criticism has also fallen on police, who have been accused of using disproportionate force, using baton charges, and tear gas, and entering university campuses and assaulting students.
Modi's government says that the new law is required to help non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who fled to India before 2015 by providing them with a pathway to Indian citizenship. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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