'I was slut-shamed' - Indian women 'cockroach' protesters doxxed and abused
Their videos lasted only a few seconds: lip-syncs, sarcastic reels and jokes filmed on the way to protests. But while thousands of young people filled
Their videos lasted only a few seconds: lip-syncs, sarcastic reels and jokes filmed on the way to protests. But while thousands of young people filled social media with memes and videos mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi during one of India's biggest anti-government protest in years, many of the women behind those posts say they have paid a heavy price for speaking out. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that helped force the resignation of India's education minister, relied as much on Instagram as it did on marches.
Memes, reels and viral videos became the movement's calling card, documenting everything from protest songs to the police crackdown when officers used tear gas and baton charges to stop demonstrators marching to parliament on 20 July. Delhi police said 60 protesters and 118 police personnel were injured on the day, but the CJP said the number of injured protesters was significantly higher than the official count. The posts reached hundreds of thousands of people, turning ordinary students into some of the movement's most recognisable faces.
Since the protests ended, police have opened criminal cases against some protesters. But many women say another reckoning played out online. They describe rape threats, doctored images spreading on social media and strangers trawling through their photos and videos. Some cases spilled into TV debates, police complaints and political statements. Many more unfolded quietly, as young women deleted posts, locked their accounts and stopped answering calls from unknown numbers.
The BBC spoke to four women and reviewed screenshots of abusive messages, posts and other material they shared. Their names have not been used to protect their identities.
The BriefWire