New Delhi: From a distance, this is how it looked: the flags of the Congress party merged into those of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s, and their red was indistinguishable from the red caps worn by Samajwadi Party supporters. This was what certain protesters had been waiting for. On Monday (October 12), Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s call for a march to the Supreme Court ended in a day when detentions were limited, and the streets were not governed by the Delhi Police and other paramilitary forces. There was the awe of seeing All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora and psephologist-activist Yogendra Yadav seated in the same bus as the opposition leaders – particularly LoP Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge, and SP president Akhilesh Yadav. After days of hitting the streets with the looming fear of violence and detentions, it was a moment of catharsis. “Today, everyone is here and there’s solidarity in that. We were getting detained left and right. So, today is the day you can come and take your stand,” said one protester, a woman in her 20s, wearing a batman mask. “It is a clear scene of dictatorship, it’s worse than dictatorship. At least some dictators improve conditions in their country.”She arrived in the capital this morning, despite having planned to reach Delhi in time for the October 10 protests. Her train from Mathura had never moved, part of the string of trains to Delhi that were cancelled in what was ostensibly an attempt to prevent people from reaching the city. Congress and NSUI workers with their flags on Barakhamba road, Delhi, October 12. Photo: Antara BaruahOn Saturday, the day of the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other student organisations, over 7,000 people were detained in Delhi. The next day saw an even greater upsurge in barbarism and brutality. This included protestors as well as journalists being beaten black and blue. One set of detainees, including minors, was picked up from Connaught Place and taken in jail-like buses to a community centre in Pandwalan Khund where they were not only attacked by the police, but held entirely captive, without access to their phones, legal aid, or any information. From deep within this island of repression and unbridled force, came a day where they said they experienced safety.While the march to the Supreme Court was announced by Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc, and later joined by Left groups, it ultimately contained all shades of people, including the politically unaffiliated. A Congress member said that an estimated 40,000-50,000 people had shown up. The din of the Section 163 announcement and the instructions to journalists on how to report were drowned out by the sea of people, who rallied around the bus, and later the open vehicle from which the MPs and activists waved. The march was essentially a roadshow, and despite occasionally veering into stampede-like territory owing to the sheer number of people, it also carried a kind of joy. ‘Save women from BJP goons’Photo: Antara BaruahTwenty-five-year-old Deepika sat on the pavement outside the Statesman Building with a placard: “Save Women from BJP Goons.”While the agitation has been framed around the impact of the Special Impact Revision (SIR) and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, she had come to speak out against the violence that was meted out to peaceful protesters. “These right wing goons have collectively organised to stop the protests. Delhi Police is facilitating them,” she said, an environmental science student who travelled from Bhopal to participate in the protests. “People used to be scared, but now they have no fear.” Photo: Antara BaruahAfter a few minutes, she switched out placards. “Itni shidat se tumne chupane ki koshish ki hai, ki kayanat ne tumhe expose karne mein nahi ki hai (You tried so hard to hide it, but the universe has exposed you anyway),” the new one said, a reference to Shah Rukh Khan’s dialogue from Om Shanti Om, a 2007 Bollywood film.Seated next to her was a friend, AJ, a 24-year-old student doing his Master’s at Ambedkar University. “I’ve been detained so many times this week that I don’t have any fear, only rage,” he said. “The resignation of Gyanesh Kumar is not enough. We need to ask more difficult questions. I’ve read the news reports. But, today, we’re also protesting against the police.” ‘Unprecedented’An All India Students’ Federation member, AJ was also taken aback by the sea of people who had arrived to take part in the march. “It’s unprecedented how many people are coming here. And it’s true, we are feeling safer,” he said.Another protester, who works as an AI researcher in Bengaluru, was one of many who had travelled to Delhi to experience and participate in the protests. While discussing how incredible it was to see Neha Bora alongside Rahul Gandhi, he also shared his doubts about the CJP. “It just didn’t feel organised,” he said, referring to 10 October. “I’ve also come to Delhi because it feels weird to see something on social media and not see how it’s unfolding in real life. There was a nice energy today, especially seeing Neha with Rahul Gandhi.”Despite making the trek, he is not personally impacted by the SIR, he said, citing his privilege. Effectively, what was seen on the streets of central Delhi was not an outpouring that was limited to a specific grievance or a Supreme Court moment. It was a collective moment of freedom, to exist in protest.One protester – 71-year-old Dalip who had come from Mumbai – didn’t mince his words. “I’m here for a regime change,” he said.