Photos: Inside a sit-in protest against CAA in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh

Updated On Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

In a working-class corner of south Delhi, a nearly one kilometre stretch of a wide, six-lane highway connecting the capital city with a burgeoning suburb has been blockaded for 10 days. Hundreds of men and women, some in burqa robes and many accompanied by children, have occupied the stretch of road at Shaheen Bagh to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens that have brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets across the country.

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Local residents break their day-long fast as they attend a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. Hundreds of men, women and children, have occupied the stretch of road at the area to protest against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents break their day-long fast as they attend a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. Hundreds of men, women and children, have occupied the stretch of road at the area to protest against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents are seen holding placards during the protest. The country has been witnessing demonstrations since December 12, after the government enacted the CAA that provides non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who moved here before 2015, a pathway to Indian citizenship. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents are seen holding placards during the protest. The country has been witnessing demonstrations since December 12, after the government enacted the CAA that provides non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who moved here before 2015, a pathway to Indian citizenship. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents sit around bonfires to keep themselves warm as they block a road during the protest against CAA. While some demonstrations have turned violent - at least 21 people have been killed during clashes with police - Shaheen Bagh’s occupation is entirely peaceful, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents sit around bonfires to keep themselves warm as they block a road during the protest against CAA. While some demonstrations have turned violent - at least 21 people have been killed during clashes with police - Shaheen Bagh’s occupation is entirely peaceful, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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A demonstrator places a candle during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

A demonstrator places a candle during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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A demonstrator collects garbage during the protest. From the maze-like neighbourhood that flanks one side of the highway, a volunteer group of more than 100 people run the site, working in shifts and providing everything from crowd-control and food to bedding and medicines, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

A demonstrator collects garbage during the protest. From the maze-like neighbourhood that flanks one side of the highway, a volunteer group of more than 100 people run the site, working in shifts and providing everything from crowd-control and food to bedding and medicines, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents offer prayers on a road during the protest. The protesters are a diverse group with individuals from different professions like banking, pharma, among others. Students from engineering colleges, Delhi University and other institutions are active participants in the protest, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents offer prayers on a road during the protest. The protesters are a diverse group with individuals from different professions like banking, pharma, among others. Students from engineering colleges, Delhi University and other institutions are active participants in the protest, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as they block a road during a protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as they block a road during a protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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A man walks past a graffiti at Shaheen Bagh. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

A man walks past a graffiti at Shaheen Bagh. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Aasif Mujtaba and Sharjeel, organisers of a sit-in protest. Both young engineers by profession, they were trained at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Mujtaba said he and Sharjeel identify volunteers, delegate tasks, bring in speakers from outside the area, and make sure the protesters avoid confrontation with police. As the occupation draws on, they are aware of the risks they face, the possibility of legal action and even their careers getting derailed, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Aasif Mujtaba and Sharjeel, organisers of a sit-in protest. Both young engineers by profession, they were trained at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Mujtaba said he and Sharjeel identify volunteers, delegate tasks, bring in speakers from outside the area, and make sure the protesters avoid confrontation with police. As the occupation draws on, they are aware of the risks they face, the possibility of legal action and even their careers getting derailed, reports Reuters. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Police officers sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm next to a barricade during a protest. Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal told Reuters that he was negotiating with protesters, and was hopeful the site would empty out soon as local support for the demonstration waned. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Police officers sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm next to a barricade during a protest. Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal told Reuters that he was negotiating with protesters, and was hopeful the site would empty out soon as local support for the demonstration waned. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Local residents sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as they block a road during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Local residents sit around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as they block a road during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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A demonstrator poses in front of a graffiti during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

A demonstrator poses in front of a graffiti during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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Pieces of bricks lay scattered on a road during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Dec 27, 2019 03:39 pm IST

Pieces of bricks lay scattered on a road during the protest. (Anushree Fadnavis / REUTERS)

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