The Bengaluru Police department finally gave in to allow protests against the Citizenship Act in the city on Thursday after unrelenting persistence from the citizens, The Quint’s Arun Dev reported.

In light of a protest scheduled for Thursday, the Karnataka administration had imposed prohibitory orders on the gathering of five or more people under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Bengaluru and other parts of the state from Thursday 6 am till midnight of December 21. Residents of Bengaluru, however, came out in large numbers and gathered in front of city’s Town Hall. Chants against the controversial amended Citizenship Act and of “inquilab zindabad” were heard from the crowd. One protester was also seen presenting a rose to a police official while he was busy removing the other demonstrators by force (video on top).

Historian Ramachandra Guha was detained in Bengaluru for participating in the protest. “We are protesting non-violently. Why is the police detaining people?” Guha said right before a few policemen took him away.

A video of protesters singing the national anthem at SJP Road near Bengaluru’s Town Hall was also widely circulated on social media.

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