TOI explains: Why can’t Bengaluru protest outside Freedom Park?
This article explains the legal framework restricting protests in Bengaluru to Freedom Park. It details how a 2021 Karnataka High Court order and police licensing regulations mandate this venue to prevent traffic disruption.
Why it matters
It clarifies the balance between the fundamental right to protest and the state's authority to regulate public order and traffic management.
A Karnataka high court order and a police licensing regime have made Freedom Park Bengaluru’s default protest venue. But the governing police order also gives the police commissioner discretion to designate another suitable venue, meaning the legal position is more nuanced than an absolute ban on demonstrations elsewhere. Here’s everything you need to know about why Bengaluru cannot protest outside Freedom Park:Bengaluru has confined protests to Freedom Park. The practice emerged from a suo motu Karnataka High Court case initiated in 2021 over the effect of demonstrations on traffic and the rights of people not participating in them.How did the restriction begin?On March 3, 2022, a division bench of the Karnataka High Court passed an interim order directing the state government to ensure that no protests, processions and similar activities were held anywhere in Bengaluru except at Freedom Park, Gandhinagar.
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