Hundreds protest Gauri Lankesh murder in Bengaluru

Hundreds of social activists, journalists, people's forums and various political party workers from across the country on Tuesday took out a protest rally here condemning the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh a week ago.

The protesters gathered at the city's railway station before taking to the streets.

Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Karnataka Janashakthi, Aam Aadmi Party and several student groups were also part of the rally.

The 55-year-old editor of Kannada weekly tabloid by her name "Gauri Lankesh Patrike" was gunned down by unidentified men outside her home in the city suburb on September 5.

Those marching were seen singing protest songs, raising slogans like "Gauri Lankesh Amar Rahe" (Long live Gauri Lankesh) and demanding that Lankesh's assailants be brought to book.

Wearing black head bands that read "I am Gauri", the protesters took out the march from the city railway station to the Central College Grounds, where a protest meeting would be held later during the day.

Those participating in the protest meet include CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, noted social activist Medha Patkar, journalists P. Sainath and Sagarika Ghose, Swaraj India leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, documentary producers Anand Patwardhan and Rakesh Sharma, and civil rights activists Teesta Setalvad, Kavitha Krishnan and Jignesh Mevani, besides film producer Praksah Rai.

The progressive forum "Gauri Lankesh Hatya Virodhi Vedike" took out the rally.

"The forum of progressive thinkers, writers, social activists, artistes and intellectuals was formed last Friday to fight against Lankesh killing and decided to hold the national-level 'resistance convention' here," the forum convenor K. Leela had told reporters on Monday.

The forum was expecting about 50,000 people to be a part of the event.