NEW DELHI, India — Demonstrators supporting India’s youth-driven “Cockroach” movement were met with police batons and tear gas in New Delhi as they attempted to march toward Parliament, where they planned to call for the resignation of the nation’s education minister.
The movement traces its origins to May, when a Supreme Court judge sparked widespread outrage by comparing unemployed young people to “cockroaches.” That inflammatory remark, combined with the leak of critical exam papers that could shape the futures of countless young Indians, ignited a wave of public anger that gave birth to the Cockroach Janta Party.
Since its formation, the movement has grown beyond its initial demands and is now pushing for sweeping reforms across the country. Government officials have responded with a firm stance against the protesters, making clear they intend to resist the movement’s pressure.
The photographs documenting the police crackdown were curated by AP photo editors.
