Until two days ago, many of the teenagers and young adults who gathered at Jantar Mantar had never attended a march. As hundreds joined on Tuesday, they came carrying swimming goggles, N95 masks and helmets after watching videos of the previous day’s tear gas clashes circulate on social media.
The first-time protestors said Instagram reels, X posts and WhatsApp texts became their guide after videos from Monday’s clashes began circulating online.
The advice was simple and repeated across platforms: wear swimming goggles to protect the eyes, put on an N95 mask, carry a damp towel to cover the face, wear full-sleeved clothes to reduce skin irritation and, if possible, use a helmet in case of a lathi-charge.
Instead of discussing slogans or speeches, many young protesters exchanged tips on what had worked the previous day. Some showed friends how tightly an N95 mask should fit, while others adjusted each other’s goggles or reminded them to keep their towels wet.
