Jantar Mantar row puts spotlight on a global question: Who gets to protest in the city centre?

Jantar Mantar’s denotification as a protest site in Delhi has reopened debate over whether demonstrations should be allowed in the middle of city centers. The article points out that many countries already designate “free-speech zones” in central locations, citing examples from Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner in London to Union Square and Lafayette Square in the United States. It also references prominent global squares tied to major protests in recent history, including Tahrir Square in Cairo, Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. In Delhi, Boat Club was previously an iconic protest site, while Ramlila Maidan remains officially designated.