Ground Zero barred, protests pop up across city; CJP issues Sunday call

With Jantar Mantar fortified, how flash protests became new form of dissent Dilli Haat, the Safdarjung Airport flyover, scattered spots around Connaught Place, Raj Ghat.

Key points

• Written by: Alok Singh, Nirbhay Thakur, Pragynesh, Tabshir Shams, Devansh Mittal, Drishti Jain, Mishal Mussaddique.
• 6 min read Delhi Updated: Oct 11, 2026 03: 58 AM IST.
• Dilli Haat, the Safdarjung Airport flyover, scattered spots around Connaught Place, Raj Ghat.
• Police detained CJP supporters during a demonstration near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi on Saturday.
• Barricading, mass detentions, massive deployment of security personnel, and travel restrictions created it impossible for protesters to reach Jantar Mantar through the day.

Police detained CJP supporters during a demonstration near Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi on Saturday. (EXPRESS PHOTO BY PRAVEEN KHANNA).

With the security forces turning Jantar Mantar, the confirmed site of the Cockroach Janta Party's protest, into a fortress, the protesters spread throughout the Capital, with small groups holding flash demonstrations throughout different places on Saturday afternoon.

Barricading, mass detentions, massive deployment of security personnel, and travel restrictions created it impossible for protesters to reach Jantar Mantar through the day. With senior CJP leaders detained in the morning itself, the protesters tried to figure out their intends and where to go in the absence of any word from the top. Finally, they broke up into scattered "flash protests" at different locations. It additionally drew clampdown by police.

In short, ground Zero barred, protests pop up across city; CJP issues Sunday call is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.