Delhi University students march for women’s safety after rape incident, oppose restrictions on public spaces

Several women students from different Delhi University colleges marched on Friday (September 25, 2026) in protest over violence against women following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at the Aastha Kunj park, organisers said.

The students started from the gate of Kamala Nehru College, marching under the message ‘Hum Auratein Azaad Hain’ (we, the women, are free). The march was open to all women and gender minorities.

The students said the protest was held to raise concerns over women’s safety and oppose measures that restrict women’s mobility in the name of protection.

“From Jamui in Bihar to a park in the national capital’s Kalkaji area, we are the women who felt unsafe walking in unlit streets at night,” the students said in the statement.

They questioned restrictions on women’s access to public spaces after dark, saying such measures place the responsibility for women’s safety rather than addressing the conditions that make public spaces unsafe.

The students demanded better street lighting, improved public transport access, and measures that would enable women to use public spaces without fear.

They also called for greater opportunities for women to study and work without restrictions on their mobility.

The statement also questioned the emphasis on surveillance and restrictions as measures to address sexual violence, arguing that these should not replace broader measures to improve safety and accountability.

They announced that consultations for a ‘Charter of Demands for Delhi Citizens’ would be held at Siri Fort Road near Gargi College and Kamala Nehru College, following the march.