New Delhi: Delhi’s streets have seen a steady churn of protests, processions, marches, rallies and strikes this year, keeping police on their toes. Each programme brings its own set of crowd-control, traffic and law-and-order challenges.
Data for the first eight months of 2026 shows police handled more dharnas, processions, marches and strikes than during the corresponding period last year. The number of dharnas rose from 1,235 in 2025 to 1,306 this year, while processions increased more sharply, from 1,672 to 1,908. Marches and rallies went up from 273 to 304, and strikes from 207 to 232. Rules prescribe designated venues according to the expected strength of a gathering: Jantar Mantar for programmes involving up to 1,000 people, Ramlila Maidan for crowds between 1,000 and 50,000, and Burari for gatherings expected to draw more than 50,000 participants.
The decision to permit or reject a demonstration, dharna or public meeting is taken after examining whether it could obstruct traffic, pose a threat to public safety or disturb public tranquillity, police said. Organiser(s) shall ensure that the protesters or demonstrators congregate as well as disperse peacefully from the identified spot only,” police said. There is also the possibility of a gathering turning violent, in which case legal action is taken, police said.
Behind every such gathering is a detailed assessment by police. But the process begins well before protesters reach a venue. Police first liaise with organisers to establish the expected turnout, venue, timing and duration of the programme, the presence of prominent attendees and the agenda. These inputs are then used to assess the likely impact on traffic, VVIP movement and the overall law-and-order situation. For protests at Jantar Mantar, the rules are particularly clear. “No march towards sensitive places from Jantar Mantar is allowed. The planning becomes more elaborate when protesters arrive from outside Delhi. Police coordinate with their counterparts in other states and remain in touch with organisers to gather details about the participants, timing, venue and nature of the programme. Once the inputs are collated, deployment is planned accordingly. Other district police units and traffic police are roped in, while arrangements are made for mobilisation of personnel, detention of protesters in case of law-and-order violations and food and water for the force deployed on the ground. Planned programmes such as marches, dharnas and protests can be challenging, but unplanned gatherings pose a bigger problem for police. Officers regularly monitor social media to check whether any calls for protests have been issued and try to prevent protesters from reaching restricted or sensitive areas.