Gauri murder: Sea of protesters in B'luru

A week after journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead, over 15,000 people from all over the city, state and country took part in a public rally and ‘resistance meeting’ to protest against her killing.

Several organisations like the Welfare Party of India, Communist Party of India (CPI), CPIML, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Dalit Sangharsh Samithi (DSS) participated in the the rally, which started from the City Railway station. The roads were flooded with protesters wearing badges, headbands, and carrying posters with the message ‘I am Gauri, we are all Gauri”.

Around 11 am, the rally reached Central College grounds and the sloganeering continued. A painting of Gauri Lankesh, a pyramid of umbrellas bearing messages of resistance, and life-sized dolls representing people from diverse cultures and faiths were some of the art installations at the grounds. Calls condemning Gauri’s assassination and cries for justice rent the air.

Gauri’s mother Indira, sister Kavitha, brother Indrajit and niece Esha also took part. 

The resistance meeting saw the participation of progressive thinkers, journalists, writers and others. Freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, writer Girish Karnad, poet Chandrashekar Patil, writers Devanur Mahadeva, Baragur Ramachandrappa and Kum Veerabhadrappa, were among those present.