Delhi Police Issues New Guidelines for Handling Gen Z Protests After Jantar Mantar Backlash

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of the Gen Z protests that swept across the country, the Delhi Police has issued new guidelines on handling protests by the younger generation. The police response to the student and youth protests at Jantar Mantar had triggered widespread criticism. The new guidelines were issued following the backlash.

The guidelines instruct police personnel to remain calm while handling protests and avoid getting into verbal arguments. Visuals of police personnel brutally assaulting students at Jantar Mantar had circulated widely on social media. The new instructions also direct police officers to remain composed and cautious in front of mobile phone cameras.

Another key instruction is that police personnel should not respond to provocative questions or emotional appeals from protesters. They have been told not to react even if protesters cry, fall at their feet or attempt to evoke sympathy or anger by raising issues concerning their families, salaries or other personal matters. Officers have been instructed to give a one-word response and remain silent, focusing only on following official procedures.

Police personnel have also been directed to behave as though they are being filmed at all times and avoid snatching or confiscating phones, throwing objects or speaking angrily. The guidelines state that officers should not touch women protesters, should not accept flowers or food offered by protesters, and should provide assistance if anyone faints or is injured. They have also been instructed to ensure passage for ambulances, schoolchildren and elderly people, while maintaining respectful speech and body language.

The new guidelines come after young people circulated police responses during the Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar through reels and memes.