{"id":49391,"date":"2026-07-26T13:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=49391"},"modified":"2026-07-26T13:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T20:15:07","slug":"black-day-for-democracy-indian-police-bash-and-gas-youth-led-cockroach-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/26\/black-day-for-democracy-indian-police-bash-and-gas-youth-led-cockroach-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Black Day for Democracy\u2019: Indian Police Bash and Gas Youth-Led \u2018Cockroach\u2019 Protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/india-politics-education-protest.jpg?id=67508901&amp;width=1200&amp;height=400&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=0%2C504%2C0%2C1163\" alt=\"INDIA-POLITICS-EDUCATION-PROTEST\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Delhi police officers beat Cockroach Janta Party protesters during a July 20, 2026 protest in New Delhi demanding the resignation of India\u2019s education minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0(Photo by Arun Sankar\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201cIt\u2019s just shocking to see that the people we elected have turned a blind eye to youth dying,\u201d said one protester.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brett-wilkins\">Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jul 20, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indian protesters rallying Monday in New Delhi under the banner of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party were brutally attacked by police as they marched toward the country\u2019s Parliament demanding the resignation of the country\u2019s education minister and denouncing the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/right-wing\">right-wing<\/a>&nbsp;government of Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/narendra-modi\">Narendra Modi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Indian capital despite police bans, barricades, internet shutdowns, and a heavy security presence. Police, some of them in plain clothes, attacked the overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators with baton charges and tear gas. Delhi police are controlled by the&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>Bharatiya Janata Party<strong><\/strong>&nbsp;(BJP)-ruled central government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RECOMMENDED&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/day-of-action-for-people-killed-by-ice\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/anti-ice-protesters-carry-cardboard-coffins-in-downtown-los-angeles.jpg?id=67538143&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=833%2C0%2C833%2C0\" alt=\"Anti-ICE protesters carry cardboard coffins in downtown Los Angeles\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/day-of-action-for-people-killed-by-ice\">\u2018We Will Not Forget Them\u2019: Nationwide Vigils Demand Justice for People Killed by ICE<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-budget-request\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/media-library\/us-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-testifies-before-a-us-house-armed-services-committee-hearing-in-washington-dc-on-april-29.jpg?id=66667477&amp;width=1200&amp;height=1200&amp;quality=70&amp;coordinates=833%2C0%2C834%2C0\" alt=\"Hegseth Is Demanding US Households Pay $5,000 More Per Year to Fund the Pentagon, Economist Says\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/pete-hegseth-budget-request\">Hegseth Is Demanding US Households Pay $5,000 More Per Year to Fund the Pentagon, Economist Says<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Wire\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/thewire.in\/government\/police-lathicharges-thousands-fires-tear-gas-at-protesters-including-minors\" target=\"_blank\">reported<\/a>\u00a0that thousands of people were injured\u2014some seriously\u2014by police. Despite\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GenZ_of_India_\/status\/2079077983239995452\" target=\"_blank\">video footage<\/a>\u00a0and photos showing officer brutality, Delhi Police\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DelhiPolice\/status\/2079072102691565811\" target=\"_blank\">denied<\/a>\u00a0\u201csporadic use of violence\u201d against protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BLACK DAY FOR DEMOCRACY<br><br>BRUTAL LATHI CHARGE AT JANTAR MANTAR <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/N6tFLmrUQe\">pic.twitter.com\/N6tFLmrUQe<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Cockroachisback\/status\/2079152174525805047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 20, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The protesters are seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following repeated leaks of National Eligibility Entrance Test papers that have upended the lives of millions of students by forcing them to retake the grueling exams and delaying university admissions.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/protest\">Protest<\/a>&nbsp;organizers say more than 20 students have killed themselves over the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Late last month, Pradhan&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/kharge-targets-dharmendra-pradhan-over-terrorist-remark-on-protesting-students\/article71141879.ece\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dismissed<\/a>&nbsp;the protesters as \u201cthe B-team of terrorists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlready more than 20 students have died by suicide, but this government is not done yet,\u201d Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/social-media\">social media<\/a>. \u201cThis government has resorted to hooliganism now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protester Rhythm Katoch&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jul\/20\/cockroach-janta-party-protest-march-sonam-wangchuk-india-parliament\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a>&nbsp;The Guardian on Monday: \u201cThey are calling this protest illegal, they are calling us anti-national. But I am 22 years old, and I am standing here to fight for our education system, for the rights of the young people, and for our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/democracy\">democracy<\/a>. Is it too much to ask for the government to listen to us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CJP and other student groups have been leading hunger strikes at the Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory designated as the protest site. Three students from the leftist All India Students\u2019 Association ended their fast on Monday, while environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike since June 28, was taken by authorities on Saturday to Safdarjung Hospital, where he continues his fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am touched and moved by how the youth have held on to peace despite provocation,\u201d Wangchuk&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/scroll.in\/latest\/1094396\/updates-ahead-of-parliament-march-cjp-says-demand-for-dharmendra-pradhans-resignation-stands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>&nbsp;Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The movement began in May after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/legal-news\/cji-surya-kant-clarifies-cockroaches-remark-fake-degrees-row-10692979\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a>&nbsp;compared unemployed young people to \u201ccockroaches.\u201d The protesters satirically reclaimed the slur as the symbol of a movement that has grown into a broader challenge to Modi\u2019s increasingly authoritarian Hindu nationalist rule, which has seen mounting repression of protest and dissent, including restrictions on journalists and activists, and the use of legal measures to target critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Monday, protesters chanted \u201cGo, Pradhan, Go, Saat Mein Modi Ko Bhi Lo! (Take Modi along with you too!),\u201d banging plastic bottles on the ground to keep the beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just shocking to see that the people we elected have turned a blind eye to youth dying\u2026 because of their incompetency,\u201d Sajal, a 22-year-old law student,\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/asia\/south-asia\/indias-cockroach-protest-takes-a-violent-turn-as-police-prevent-frustrated-youth-from-marching-to?ref=top-stories\" target=\"_blank\">told<\/a>\u00a0The Straits Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Is this a war zone? Why is the police resorting to tear gas assault on peaceful protesters? <br><br>Sir <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@narendramodi<\/a> have you decided we are no longer a democracy? First your govt ignored this protest for a month and now when we are peacefully marching your govt is attacking us. Why? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/F52ELTr2Jp\">pic.twitter.com\/F52ELTr2Jp<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Cockroachisback\/status\/2079112480639377815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 20, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another protester, yoga instructor Jyoti Rajput,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/india-cockroach-janta-party-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-cbeb4773e89d67250f0bcad1670fcd38\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a>&nbsp;The Associated Press that she joined the demonstration because \u201cthis rotten system refuses to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt cannot see the pain of students, and that\u2019s why so many people have joined this movement,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amid Monday\u2019s demonstration, CJP leaders met Union Minister JP Nadda at his Delhi home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level,\u201d CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said on social media. \u201cHowever, no commitments have been made so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Responding to the brutal crackdown,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/amnesty-international\">Amnesty International<\/a>&nbsp;India board chair Aakar Patel said in a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/press-releases\/india-crackdown-on-peaceful-protesters-in-new-delhi-raises-serious-human-rights-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a>&nbsp;that \u201cthe images and reports emerging from the protest at Jantar Mantar show how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe role of the authorities is to protect and facilitate peaceful&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/protests\">protests<\/a>, not to suppress them,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized under international&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/tag\/human-rights\">human rights<\/a>&nbsp;law and the Indian Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Delhi Police\u2019s actions raise serious questions about whether their response met the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality under international human rights standards,\u201d Patel added. \u201cWe call on the Delhi Police to exercise restraint and immediately cease the use of unlawful force against peaceful protesters. Authorities must ensure that all allegations of unlawful conduct, including the reported excessive use of batons, tear gas, and stone-throwing by police personnel, are promptly, independently, and impartially investigated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brett-wilkins\">Brett Wilkins<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brett-wilkins\">Full Bio &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Delhi police officers beat Cockroach Janta Party protesters during a July 20, 2026 protest in New Delhi demanding the resignation of India\u2019s education minister. \u00a0(Photo by Arun Sankar\/AFP via Getty Images) \u201cIt\u2019s just shocking to see that the people we elected have turned a blind eye to youth dying,\u201d said&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/26\/black-day-for-democracy-indian-police-bash-and-gas-youth-led-cockroach-protesters\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2274,1880],"tags":[420],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49391"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49392,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49391\/revisions\/49392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}