Protesters ring in 2020 with National Anthem

New Delhi: On the 15th day of the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh, the women demanding a rollback of the Citizenship Law had already discussed what they would do if they had to spend New Year's Eve in the same place, blocking a portion of the Kalindi Kunj Road. What they had not anticipated was the crowd and support that would pour in on December 31, just to make sure the women of Shaheen Bagh are not alone as the world bid goodbye to the second decade of the 21st century and welcomed the next decade.

After raising slogans of "Azaadi" and "Inquilab Zindabad", at the stroke of midnight, a crowd of over 3,500 spontaneously erupted into a chorus of the National Anthem. And just 5 km away, so did the protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia and all other places in the Capital.

Meanwhile, students, youth and young professionals from all walks of life chose to stand in solidarity with protesters across the Capital, who continue to wage their demonstrations against the newly amended Citizenship Act.

While the celebration at protests sites were all marked with public speeches by speakers who took to the stage one by one as the end of the year approached. Many were seen huddled in the Shaheen Bagh tents, where women and children have been sitting in protest; whereas many others thronged to tea shops for a hot beverage and bite to eat in the biting cold.

A key feature at Shaheen Bagh was that many chose to bring their children to the protest.

One such mother told the Millennium Post that this was a moment she had wanted her daughter to be a part of and remember. On the other hand, many college students and former students of JMI joined the gathering to lend their voices to the cause. On Wednesday morning, actor Swara Bhaskar visited Shaheen Bagh where she chanted: "Wo lathi charge karayenge, hum Kagaz nahi dikhayenge, wo Library me ghus jayenge, hum kagaz nahin dikhayenge. She also visited protesters at JMI to show support. Actor Zeeshan Ayyub also met with protesters on Newy Year's Day after having visited the Shaheen Bagh site a little after midnight.