Mumbai recently witnessed unprecedented protests that brought its road and rail services to a standstill, disrupting daily life. Around 60,000 protesters from across Maharashtra converged in the city between August 29 and September 2, demanding Maratha caste reservations under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. For five days, protestors blocked trains and roads, affecting lives and livelihoods across the metropolis.

As the capital and political nerve centre of Maharashtra, Mumbai regularly draws protestors from all corners of the state. This is especially true around Azad Maidan, the city’s designated protest site. Those residing and working in South Mumbai, where the maidan is located, have long felt the impact. Since 1997, citizens here have been fighting a legal battle seeking restrictions on protests to prevent disruption of their daily movements. 

Following their long-standing petition, the Bombay High Court directed the government to frame guidelines for public demonstrations. In compliance, the Mumbai Police issued a notification on August 26, 2025, outlining new rules to govern protests in South Mumbai.

So, where and how can one hold protests in the city, and how can authorities ensure that city life remains unaffected? Read on.      

But first, what do the new rules say?

Under the Public Meeting, Agitations and Procession Rules, 2025, a portion of Azad Maidan has been designated for protests, dharnas, rallies, etc, on the principle of causing “minimum disturbance to residents, traffic and adequate space for protestors in a regulated manner.” 

Read more: Right to protest: Citizens demand freedom from Freedom Park

What is the procedure for getting permission for a protest? 

In Mumbai, Azad Maidan is the sole designated protest site. Organisers must obtain written permission from the Mumbai police and submit a written undertaking available on their website. Once approved, they are responsible for providing medical aid and ensuring legal compliance. Only select leaders may proceed to Mantralaya to meet ministers, and ministers can also visit Azad Maidan to address grievances. This system has functioned effectively for over two decades, even during assembly sessions at Vidhan Bhavan.

What happens if the protestors fail to stick to the police orders? 

Though the protestors are expected to adhere to the orders and guidelines, in case they fail to do so, they could attract action under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Bombay Police Act, 1951, informs Praveen Munde, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone -1). Incidentally, though the police are empowered to act against violations, often such charges are not invoked for fear of incurring the wrath of the protestors. 

What about basic facilities for protestors? 

Mumbai’s governing body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), provides basic facilities like toilets and drinking water supply for protestors. The BMC has nominated an external agency to provide basic facilities and to maintain cleanliness throughout the year. The BMC has outsourced this service, and 16 mobile toilets have been permanently stationed at Azad Maidan, says Jaydeep More, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of A-Ward.

“In case the number of protestors is high, the police personnel there inform us and we beef up our services accordingly. Drinking water supply from water tankers is called for as per the need,” he added. 

Do the new rules curtail the right to protest?

Human rights lawyer and noted civil society activist Mihir Desai criticised these rules as “too restrictive” and “almost discourage democratic right to protest”, which is a fundamental right granted by the Indian Constitution. He feels that these guidelines perceive “citizens as irritants” and that the concept of protesting only in designated spaces goes against the core of the democratic right to dissent. 

“The purpose of any protest is to communicate dissent to policymakers. Designated spaces defeat this purpose as voices raised here are heard only by fellow protesters,” he argued. 

Urbanist Nitin Killawalla, however, felt that most cities are known for and should have protest spaces such as Jantar Mantar in Delhi, within cities. “Ideally, in a democracy, every city must have designated spaces for dissent, which should be centrally located, well connected by public transportation and also be accommodating enough for large crowds to congregate,” he said. He rued that while people from across the state gather in large numbers to protest in Mumbai, Mumbaikars themselves fail to turn up for issues affecting their own city.

What do residents say?

Residents around Mantralaya, the state secretariat that attracts most of these agitations, say that protests should be restricted to prevent affecting their roads and lives. 

“Most decisions of the state regarding protests have been taken by the courts only after the state failed to rein in agitators or restrict them from blocking streets or affecting lives,” points out Atul Kumar, president of the Nariman Point Churchgate Residents Association, which had petitioned the court to impose restrictions on protests. “It was the Bombay High Court and not the Maharashtra government, which fixed Azad Maidan as the termination point for all rallies,” he points out. 

In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Member of Parliament Milind Deora argued that the right to protest should be balanced with the rights of daily wage workers to earn their livelihoods, which were impacted by such protests.

“While the right to protest is an essential democratic freedom, it must be balanced with the rights of ordinary citizens to live and work without disruption. South Mumbai is not only the heart of our state’s governance, but also its political and economic nerve centre,” he wrote. 

However, other political leaders like Sanjay have pointed out that South Mumbai cannot be the domain of only the residents and people from Maharashtra have as much claim on these spaces. 

Kishore Soude, the sarpanch of a village in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, said villagers came to protest in Mumbai as local agitations were ignored. “Where else can we protest, but at the seat of power at Mantralaya? Protests have to be close to the temples of democracy. Traffic issues are always there in Mumbai; why blame us for it?”

The current rules already include these guidelines, but require effective implementation.

Also read:

• How citizen protests can help fix civic issues in Chennai
• Opinion: Ek doctor ki maut, and what public protests around it must not miss