Massive Crowd Gathers To Witness Flag Hoisting At Shaheen Bagh

Celebrations Shaheen Bagh began at midnight on Sunday.

Celebrations at Shaheen Bagh had begun at midnight on Sunday, with the anti-citizenship law protesters reading the Preamble of the Indian Constitution and the National Anthem.

(Photo: Atlaiq Khan/The Quint)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters at Shaheen Bagh, Delhi, celebrated Republic Day by unfurling the national flag before a massive, cheering crowd.

On Sunday morning, the crowd that gathered at Shaheen Bagh stretched from the protest stage to the end on the market near the Kalindi Kunj park, covering approximately half a kilometre.

Celebrations here had begun at midnight on Sunday, with the anti-citizenship law protesters reading the Preamble of the Indian Constitution and singing the national anthem.

Photo: The Quint

Photo: The Quint

Photo: The Quint

“We’re celebrating Republic Day here because we want azaadi, not for me, but for my children. I’ve been coming here since the beginning, I sit here till 2 to 2.30 am, then leave.” 

Mukhtari Khatoon, one of the protesters. 

Shaheen Bagh has emerged as the fulcrum of resistance against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, with protesters, mostly women, staging a continuous sit-in for over a month now.

“I’m here to see history being made. We’ve come here every day and we’re here to see the flag being hoisted.” 

Bushra, a 17-year-old school girl

Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court last week seeking appropriate directions to the police to open Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, which has been closed since December 15 due to ongoing protests against the CAA.

(With inputs from ANI)