A New India
Chapter 286 - 286: Resistance - IV

The protests were no longer confined to the streets of Indian communities; they had grown into a global phenomenon.

In London, New York, Sydney, and Paris, the crowds swelled with every passing day.

Placards that once read, "Stop the Hate," now shared space with slogans like, "Equal Rights for All," and "Justice for Minorities."

What had begun as a movement to address racism against Indians had morphed into a broader cry for justice.

Black activists, Chinese immigrants, and other marginalized groups joined the marches, their voices adding strength to the cause.

Yet, the growing momentum also attracted darker forces.

In London, the protest outside Westminster still countinued like any other.

Thousands gathered, their chants resonating through the heart of the city.

Among them were students, shopkeepers, and professionals, their faces a mix of determination and hope.

Professor Ajay stood at the forefront, addressing the crowd through a megaphone. "The government will have to hear us, they can try to ignore us again and again but we will not be silenced, we are a part of this country whether they want or not."

The crowd erupted in cheers, but within moments, a group of unfamiliar men pushed their way to the front.

Their faces were covered, their actions deliberate.

One of them grabbed a placard from a protester and set it on fire, throwing it into the crowd.

The panic spread like wildfire.

"Stop them!" Ajay shouted, but it was too late.

The chaos had begun.

A young protester tried to intervene, only to be shoved to the ground. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice shaking with anger.

The man smirked but said nothing, melting back into the crowd as the police moved in.

Within minutes, the protest that had been peaceful for days was declared a riot.

In Manhattan, the protest outside the United Nations building was one of the largest yet. Vidhi Patel led the crowd, her voice steady despite the growing tension. "Hate cannot win".

The crowd cheered, but their joy was short-lived.

A small group of men, dressed in plain clothes, began shouting incendiary slogans. "Down with America!" they screamed, their voices cutting through the chants of unity.

Vidhi's face darkened as she spotted them. She turned to her assistant. "Get them out of here. Now."

The assistant hesitated. "But how do we—?"

"Just do it!" Vidhi snapped, her eyes blazing. "They're not with us."

Before the group could be removed, the police arrived, armed with batons and shields.

They pushed into the crowd, their heavy-handed approach sparking outrage.

"This is a peaceful protest!" Vidhi shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the chaos.

Protesters scrambled to protect themselves, while the instigators slipped away unnoticed.

In Sydney, Raj Malhotra's protest remained peaceful despite the growing tension.

The crowd had swelled to include not just Indian-Australians but also Aboriginal activists and Chinese immigrants.

Together, they marched through the streets, their voices united in a call for justice.

An Aboriginal elder took the microphone, her voice filled with emotion. "For decades, my people have fought for recognition, for respect. Today, I march with you because your fight is our fight."

The crowd roared in agreement, their spirits lifted by her words.

Yet, even here, the shadows loomed.

A group of men lingered at the edges of the march, their eyes scanning the crowd with predatory intent.

Raj noticed them immediately. He turned to his team. "Keep an eye on those men. If they try anything, alert the marshals."

The men made no move, and the march continued peacefully, but the tension they brought was undeniable.

Raj knew all it needed was som fringe element to yell and create some chaos to turn this protest violent.

While this was going on, government offices across the Western world were still discussing on how to quell this "Rebellion" without making it look forceful.

The British Prime Minister leaned back in his chair, his expression serious.

"Are the people in Intelligence full of rice and bag, have they not been able to find anything on these people," he said, his voice cold. "If these protests continue, we'll lose control of the narrative."

One of his advisors hesitated. "We have been trying infiltrating the protests, turning them violent. Some cases we are even sucessful."

The Prime Minister's gaze sharpened. "But it doesn't change the fact that it has now turned into a mass movement for minorities and even if you turn it violent there is a risk of being caught?"

"We'll use deniable assets," the advisor replied. "No direct ties to the government. Let the chaos discredit them."

In Washington, the President received a similar briefing. "The protests have now evolved" an aide reported. "We've seen Black activists, Chinese immigrants, even Mexican-Americans joining the marches. It's becoming a broader movement."

The President frowned. "Get FBI and CIA to put more black people in this and turn it violent. This is not enough"

While in India Rohan sat in his office, the latest reports from Rao spread across his desk.

"Instigators?" he asked, his tone sharp.

Rao nodded. "Planted in multiple locations. They're turning protests violent, but we've managed to contain the fallout in some areas."

KP Singh leaned forward, his voice laced with frustration. "The Western governments are playing dirty. They know they can't openly oppose the protests, so they're sabotaging them."

Rohan's eyes narrowed. "Then we expose them. Leak what we know about these instigators. Let the world see their hypocrisy."

Rao hesitated. "That could backfire, sir. If we can't prove the link, it'll look like baseless accusations."

Rohan leaned back, his gaze icy. "Then we move carefully. But I want results for losing this battle of narrative in their homeground will push us more to the edge".

Despite the chaos, the core of the protests remained unbroken.

In New York, a group of Black activists formed a human chain to protect Indian protesters from the police.

In London, Chinese immigrants joined the marches, carrying banners that read, "Unity in Diversity."

An elderly Chinese man spoke to a reporter in Mandarin, his words translated into English. "We have faced the same hate, the same ignorance. Today, we stand with our Indian brothers and sisters because their fight is our fight."

In Sydney, Raj Malhotra addressed the crowd with renewed vigor. "They want us to be afraid. They want us to turn on each other. But we won't give them that satisfaction. We stand together, and we stand strong."

By the end of the day, medium-sized newspapers and independent journalists had picked up on the instigators' tactics.

Stories emerged detailing the deliberate sabotage of peaceful protests, sparking outrage among readers.

In one op-ed titled "Who Benefits from Chaos?" a journalist wrote: "The violence at these protests is not the work of the demonstrators but of those who fear their message. The truth is clear: unity scares those who thrive on division."

In small-town America, a farmer read the article aloud to his family. "Seems like the Indians ain't the problem after all," he said, his voice thoughtful. "Maybe we've been looking at this all wrong."

As night fell across the globe, the protests showed no signs of slowing.

Despite the violence, despite the fear, the people marched on.

What had begun as a cry for justice had become a call for unity, a movement that transcended borders, races, and religions.